


The City is Ours

by RedStockings



Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, M/M, Marriage, Mutants, Mutants vs Humans, Unrequited Love, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-03
Updated: 2013-12-07
Packaged: 2018-01-03 08:51:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1068518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedStockings/pseuds/RedStockings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik felt his heart racing with excitement, lightened, and for once felt joyful. Charles had looked at him, really looked at him, and there had been something there, a knowing of a kind. As the soldiers laughed amongst each other, and joked each other about who would succeed in marrying the boy, Erik made himself a silent vow. Charles was going to be his, and nothing would keep him from having him. He’d marry him, and he’d save him, and Charles would love him for it. </p>
<p>Not even the war could keep them apart... right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The only one for him

**Author's Note:**

  * For [riais](https://archiveofourown.org/users/riais/gifts).



> This is my Secret Mutant Exchange gift for you riais. I hope that you enjoy this fic, and that I’ve managed to do your prompt justice. Eeek! I am so super nervous posting this… Mid way through November I thought it might never come right, but here we are, just sneaking ahead of the deadline like Hallelujah.   
> I love this prompt, it came off the page like, boom, that’s the one for me. Had lots of fun plotting this beast of a fic, turned into a hermit for furious writing, and almost tore my hair out editing. But here it is.   
> Merry Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! xxxx

“Dad!” he screamed as Logan, a strong and iron gripped mutant, held him back. “Dad!”

“Charles, be quiet,” Logan said, wrapping his heavy hand over the boy’s mouth and holding him tight. “Don’t you dare use your powers, don’t give us away.”

Unable to call out anymore, the boy struggled against Logan’s hold until he became aware of what was happening. Brian Xavier wasn’t going to be coming back, this was it, the end. The humans had succeeded in pushing the remaining mutants out of the north, and anyone calling for tolerance was now a traitor. He watched as his father was dragged through the crowd and up the scaffold.

“Brian Xavier you have been found guilty of citing mutant rebellion. As an enemy of the human race, you have sentenced to die.”

The humans lifted their rifles and it was over.

***

The day that Charles had arrived in his life, ten years ago, still shone bright against all other memories. Erik Lehnsherr had simply been a Lance Corporal then, in the Mutant Resistance Army. His battalion had been stationed at the Western gates of London, holding the fortress there. He’d been charged with vetting the refugees, who were arriving in droves from the surrounding countryside and defeated towns in the north. Thousands had arrived since the violence once again erupted in Scotland. They were dirt covered and wearied, frightened and hoping to find friends and loved ones as they walked miles on dangerous roads searching for safety. But no one had been waiting to claim the two Xavier siblings, who had looked near dead on their feet.

The boy had stumbled in the line, too tired to even stand a moment more, his sister bursting into tears at the sight of his failing strength. Erik had pushed his way through the throng, and found himself met with a pale frightened boy, with a sunken face, blood crusted on his temple and in his hair. His clothes might once have been called fine, cut well, in expensive fabrics which were now merely a memory. But the holes and the dirt showed a life far removed from luxury.

“Your names,” Erik demanded, pointing the tip of his gun in the boy’s direction. He couldn’t be too careful. Even the most dangerous of assassins could have the most deceivingly beautiful faces.

The boy looked up at him with blue eyes dulled by weariness.

“Charles Xavier,” he replied with a voice roughed by illness. “My sister Raven.” The girl reached for her brother’s hand and Erik lowered his gun slightly. They were so pathetically broken that they could pose no threat to anyone.

“This way,” he said, letting the two go ahead of him, past the crowd and though the check point gates. The soldiers on guard nodded at Erik, their eyes tracking the two young people with furtive glances.

Erik let them go for testing with sudden reluctance, knowing that their ordeal was far from over. Now they would be tested for their mutations, and if found lacking they’d be segregated and returned from whence then came. Otherwise they’d be categorised, processed and let into the relative safety of the Southern province of West London.

On the days that followed, Erik found himself wondering about the boy with the blue eyes, and what had become of him. He felt haunted by the very idea of him, and felt confused by it. Then, convinced his curiosity would not die on its own, Erik took the first chance he got to go to the medical halls.  Here Corporal Emma Frost was overseeing the latest arrivals and looking as efficient and intimating as always.

“Yes? Lance Corporal Lehnsherr, can I help you?” she asked, mostly out of politeness because there was no need to ask at all if she wished. She could have simply looked into him to find what his presence here was in aid of. She wasn’t exactly shy of using her telepathic powers, and made sure everyone in the city knew of it.

Erik saluted her automatically, her eyes scanning over him as he did so. He was wearing a fresh clean uniform for this task, which she undoubtedly noticed.  

“I wanted to ask what happened to the Xaviers,” Erik said. The slight raise of an eyebrow on Emma’s face told him that she was intrigued by his interest.

“Oh, yes, the Xavier’s, an interesting pair. They’re the children of Mutant Rights activist Brian Xavier, you’ve heard of him I presume? You’ll also know that he was recently murdered, in a rather violent and public execution in Edinburgh,” Emma told him, in her usual brusque manner.

The words were like ice running down Erik’s back, it was brutal and even in this awful climate of death around every corner, the callous way Emma spoke was enough to remind Erik of the horror of the time. No wonder they’d looked so terrified, so exhausted and near collapse.

“They’re rather powerful mutants, the girl, a shapeshifter, the boy,” she looked up with a wry smile of her lips. “He’s a telepath Erik, far more gifted than anyone has the right to be.”

“More than you?”

“We’ll see,” she said, the smile fading.

“Where are they?” Erik asked, knowing he was now over stepping any excuse he had as a solider to question their wellbeing. It was only his familiar degree of acquaintance with Emma that even allowed him to speak for so long on something so trivial to her.

“At the school of course. There is no special treatment here, not even for the children of a hero.”

Erik nodded. The conversation was over. He saluted her once more and realised that she’d said nothing to soothe his worry. In fact, now he felt worse. He’d heard of Brian Xavier’s murder. He wasn’t a mutant, but had travelled to Scotland to stand up and talk of tolerance. Then, in the air of terror he’d been shot in front of hundreds of spectators.  

***

Charles arrived at the school to find that he’d had no thought to what would happen with the rest of his life. His goal had been to get himself and Raven to the Mutant populated city of London, but now that he was here, his energy faded into nothing. The school was a large brown bricked building which had an imposing and frightening presence. It looked a lonely place, and it was with a heavy heart that Charles realised that this would be his home now. With Raven, they would be just two of many orphans forgotten here, and left to shift as well as they could in this increasingly hostile world. They were all lost, all hoping for a better future, and not seeing any way out.

“I don’t like it here Charles,” Raven said as they sat together on her small hard bed in a room that reminded Charles of a prison cell.

“We have nowhere else to go,” he replied. It hurt to even find the ability to speak anymore.

Charles had fallen asleep that night to the sound of Raven crying, and the night after, and the night after that. It took six months before either of them could look beyond their grief and take and interest in their surroundings. But by then, Charles realised that in their misery, they’d made themselves outcasts, and couldn’t rejoin life with any ease. The world had moved past them, even at its seemingly incredibly slow pace.

When they had been travelling here, running through dangerous places, and bargaining for scraps of food, this end destination had promised finality to the hardship. Now they were here, Charles realised he might never feel safe again. No one cared about them here. They had no friends and no family. They were completely alone, and now there was no mythical hopeful place they were travelling to.

It took a few weeks of careful conversation before Charles was able to regard one other girl as his friend. Her name was Angel, and she took great delight in unfurling her large insect like wings at any given opportunity. He’d found her mutation to be the key to her heart, and with a few well placed compliments, she was willing to spend her time by his side.

Charles admired her greatly, she was striking to look at, dark and mysterious, with a smile that beckoned you closer. He found himself trying to emulate her at any given opportunity, and with his confidence growing, and his grief subsiding, popularity came hand in hand with a renewed interest in his academic work.

“I so love caramel, don’t you?” Angel asked, holding a box of golden sweets in front of Charles nose, as she lounged next to him on his bed. “Try one.”

Sweets were a rare commodity, and Charles was reluctant to take one from her until she pressed him. Raven on the other hand, didn’t need to be asked twice.

“Have another, I can get more,” Angel insisted as if holding a box of sweets was an everyday occurrence.

“Where are you getting these from? Our allowance only covers necessities,” Charles asked through a mouthful of deliciously sticky caramel. “And even then, we’re all starving and wearing rags.”

“From Alex, he’s a soldier, they’re the only ones worth paying attention to,” she said in a dreamy voice. “But you ought to know that.”

“I don’t know any soldiers,” Charles said.

“No, seriously? You’re wasting yourself, with a face like that, you could be getting chocolates by the dozen… boxes and boxes…” Angel said, smiling her usual teasing grin. She pinched Charles’ cheek playfully. “They’re plenty of soldiers to go around.”

“Charles doesn’t date,” Raven said from over the top of her book. It was a battered volume of Shakespeare’s sonnets, which she was trying to memorise out of sheer boredom.  

“Well he should,” Angel said decisively. “I know, next time I go into town, you should come with me. It’s super fun.”

Angel did have a point, and she wasn’t the only one with a string of admirers. Really, she was only protecting her future. Times were hard for all. Food rationed, clothes drab and patched up, then patches put on the patches. For people like Charles and Raven, there was very little future to be looked to. The school would be their home until they reached seventeen, then, they were on their own. Outside of these cold walls, there were very few options left to the poor souls such as the children of the school. Their only hopes of survival were marriage, drudgery or soldering.

Joining the mutant resistance held little appeal for Charles. At least, he had no desire to bloody his hands. The war had already taken his parents, wasn’t that enough of a sacrifice for anyone? Neither was he very keen in repetitive horrendous manual labour, so what did that leave him? Marriage obviously. Angel was at least out in the city getting known, she was meeting potential partners, and in a highly cynical light, looking for the best prospect. Charles couldn’t let his life drift away, because unless he took control, someone else would. With a mutant power like his, he wasn’t likely to be overlooked by those in command.

“Alright, I’ll go with you,” Charles said surprising both the girls.

***

Erik had seen Charles Xavier once more since the day he’d arrived in the city, standing outside of the bookshop in the centre of town. He’d been wearing what looked like a very threadbare coat. He had his hands in his pockets and his face almost pressed up against the window, looking intently at the display. He made a striking sight amongst the deserted street, and a perfect target for the attention of the cavalcade of soldiers riding in the back of an open top truck. Immediately the soldier beside Erik pointed Charles out to his fellows, and hollered at him. Charles had turned, surprised, then a smile had appeared on his face, and Erik had felt his breath catch inside of him.

“Darling, marry me! I’ll buy you all those books!”

“No, marry me.”

“Mi amore! Oh! Ciao Bella!”

Erik felt the jealously burn inside of him, Charles was not for them, not for their entertainment. Erik had seen him first, and had kept him pure and true in his mind for the past year. He’d not pursued him, and perhaps that was a mistake, Charles didn’t even know he existed, and he wasn’t even looking at him now. No, wait, Erik thought, Charles was a telepath. Behind that beautiful face, there was a wealth of power that no one could guess at. He was still smiling, as the soldiers catcalled him, lamented his beauty, and begged him to notice them. But Erik knew, all he need do was call out in another way. Closing his eyes, he concentrated, trying to send his voice towards the boy.

_Charles_.

The smile faltered on the boy’s face, his eyes widened, and he started to look from face to face. But the truck was moving past him, and it was only as it went by that Erik managed to catch his eye. He held Erik’s gaze for what felt like forever, until the truck turned the corner. Erik felt his heart racing with excitement, lightened, and for once felt joyful. Charles had looked at him, really looked at him, and there had been something there, a knowing of a kind. As the soldiers laughed amongst each other, and joked each other about who would succeed in marrying the boy, Erik made himself a silent vow. Charles was going to be his, and nothing would keep him from having him. He’d marry him, and he’d save him, and Charles would love him for it.

 


	2. Charles Xavier's suitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charles and Raven lament their bleak fate, and Charles continues to be mysteriously courted by a soldier.

Charles held the woollen material in his hands with a sense of reverence. It was strange, some years ago, when they were all living in America and had been secure and happy, he never would have been amazed at something so trivial. Now, this blue scarf suddenly meant the world to him, like something out a dream. Where had to come from? How had it survived the journey into the city, and why should it now belong to him? He imaged himself wearing it, feeling warm and loved once more. Someone had thought of him, someone cared.

“Where did you get that?” Raven demanded snatching the scarf from Charles’ hands. A few other people looked their way, then realising that there was nothing worth their interest, turned away again.

“I don’t know, but it was address to me,” Charles said showing Raven the brown paper which the scarf had been wrapped in. There indeed was his name, printed carefully by someone using short neat capital letters.

After so long being dressed in nothing but old handed down ill fitting clothes, all brown, black and grey, it was strange to see something so colourful. Not that Charles would ever have considered dark blue colourful before arriving here. Raven ran it through her hands, marvelling at the softness and looking extremely jealous.

“Oh, finally, Xavier has an army sweetheart,” Angel said, as she set her porridge bowl on the table beside Raven. “It’s about time.”

 “No I don’t… I mean… I don’t know who sent it,” Charles said, feeling his cheeks turn red.

“A secret admirer? Well, perhaps we can find out who it is tonight, because we’re going into town. It’s cards night at the club,” Angel said with a grin, her eyes full of mischievous.

_Ugh, stupid girl_ Charles heard from Raven’s mind. He’d certainly heard worse from Raven, who didn’t approve of Angel’s way of thinking at all. Charles gave her warning look, and she rolled her eyes at him. _This will end badly._  

***

The room was filled with cigarette smoke and it was hard for Charles to see from one side to the other. The voices inside of his head suddenly exploded into life at the sight of the people inside, then coupled with the actual assault on his ears, for a moment he couldn’t move. Slowly, his powers started to regulate themselves, and his mind sorted through unnecessary noise in search of its relevance. Slowly, Charles started to feel like he’d regained control, and he pushed his powers to the side, blocking out the thoughts of those around him. Just their regular voices remained, and their conversations seemingly never ended.

“Are you sure we should be here?” he asked Angel, who was currently standing by his side. She smiled at him, and then unfurled her wings with a knowing grin. This sight was apparently of great entertainment and wonder to the army personal, who cheered her, and whistled.

One moment she was standing there with him, the next she was flitting from person to person, knowing everyone’s name, and knowing what to say to make everyone laugh. Charles felt extremely self-conscious as he stood there alone, trying not to look it, and trying not to look anyone in the eye. He felt shy, and wished he’d never walked through the door. People were looking at him, he could feel their eyes on him, and he felt himself blushing. The attention was too much, so in attempt to blend in a little, he walked towards the bar with his head bowed. 

But he found to his disbelief that he wasn’t able to go unnoticed. As soon as he stopped moving, he was surrounded by soldiers who wanted to know his name and buy him a drink. For a moment it was rather overwhelming, but then once the initial panic was over, he found himself smiling. For the first time since he’d arrived in this horrible gloomy place he was being noticed. Whether it was superficial or not, Charles suddenly understood Angel’s enthusiasm for solider sweethearts.  

“Hello, it’s very nice to meet you all, my name is Charles Xavier,” he said, smiling his most alluring smile and allowing himself to be the centre of attention.

***

Times were hard and they were cold. The war had raged on seemingly without any end in sight, and had now tapered into a scrabble for territory. The mutants were holding their own, but as far as the world was concerned, as a whole they had lost. As the months rolled on, and life seemed harder by the day, Charles and Raven continued to remain at the school, working hard and trying to imagine a future outside of its walls. But there was nothing out there for them, just more hardship and neither was in a position to look after the other. The city was lifeless, but it was one of the last safe havens for mutants against the storm of war.

Marriage was a frightening prospect, but the clock was ticking and the older they grew, the more the city took an interest. High powered mutants needed to be paired off to make alliances, a rogue mutant acting alone was frowned upon, which meant at sixteen, Charles was being courted whether he wanted to be or not.

Unfortunately, his heart wasn’t in it, and rather than being excited, the interest made him retreat. For Raven, a year behind him, she had her own agenda, which she revealed to him unexpectedly one afternoon.

“We should marry each other, we’re not actually brother and sister, we could, you know.”

“No,” Charles replied, the word spilling out of him from the shock of what she’d said. But Raven was deadly serious, and ignored his horror.

“Think about it. We marry each other, then, they can’t control us anymore. We’ll be free. I could enlist, and you could… I don’t know, continue studying or whatever you wanted. It’s a good idea.”

“No it isn’t Raven. Besides, even if I agreed, we’ve nothing to offer each other. We’d be homeless, and you can’t enlist until you’re sixteen. What would we do until then?”

Raven frowned. She was shaking her head, and however awful the idea sounded to Charles he knew Raven was simply afraid of the future too.  

“But, they’ll make you marry!” she said as if this was the most terrible thing that could ever happen. Perhaps it was? Charles had tried not to think on it too seriously, but apparently it had been keeping Raven awake at night.

“I know,” he said watching her face carefully, reaching for her hand. “Maybe it won’t be so bad.”

“Yes it will! You don’t like anyone!” she said. She shook her head again, and this time there were tears in her eyes. “I hate this so much. I wish we could go home.”

***

Charles had seen the soldier twice, the one he suspected of sending him the gift of the scarf. Until he had seen him sitting in the back of the truck with his battalion, Charles hadn’t been able to properly recall his face. Charles didn’t know his name, but the solider had called to Charles with his mind. The memory of their first meeting was blurred, but Charles recalled a strong presence, which had taken control of him and pulled him out of the mire. At the time, he’d thought nothing of the soldier, he’d been tired, confused and frightened. But as time went on, the more his mind returned to that moment and the more it seemed odd that he’d been helped so by a stranger. Charles wanted to thank him, for more than just the scarf. He wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve such kindness.

Angel was intrigued by the mystery, but Raven was downright hostile. She disliked Charles ‘making a show’ of himself, and disapproved of Angel immensely. Charles wasn’t sure what had given her this attitude, other than his brutal shoot down of her crazy idea that they marry each other. Surely she’d only suggested it out of pure desperation? It wasn’t something he wanted to discuss, and Raven hadn’t mentioned it again.

Months passed and war continued, rations became even tighter, and every day Charles became more aware of the desperation around him. Suddenly Angel’s game didn’t seem so much like a game anymore. She cultivated attention with a fever that was upsetting to see, starting to lose her carefree attitude. Angel had come to realise, just as Charles had, that she might never find that perfect solider, the one who would save her, and was looking at her future with fear.

“More chocolates,” Angel said with a sigh. “I’m getting fat. Think I’ll trade them for something else. Damn unimaginative bastards… I need gloves not sweets!”

It was one thing receiving presents from would be suitors, but if they didn’t come with a proposal, then what was the point? Raven said nothing, but as time went on, Charles sometimes saw a satisfied smirk on her face whenever Angel lamented losing another beau to the frontline without getting a ring on her finger first.

“Things are getting worse,” Raven said, sitting next to Charles on his bed. She leant her head against his shoulder. “The teachers won’t tell us, but you’ve seen the shops, there’s less than half in them than there was this time last year. There’s no soldiers in the streets anymore, they’re all fighting. I’m scared.”

Charles didn’t look up from his book. Raven was right, and there was little he could say or do to make her feel better. Gone were the days when he could tell her everything would be alright, and she would believe him. Now, she heard the fear in his voice all too clearly. Her view of the world was growing grimmer by the day.

“This isn’t something we can change,” Charles said. Her cold hands wrapped around him as she held him tight. Sometimes she seemed in such a terror of losing him, that only holding onto him made her feel better. “We just have to survive.”

“I’m scared for you… I’m scared what will happen to you,” she confessed.  

“Why?”

“This solider… the one who’s courting you, sending you gifts… what does he want?” she asked.

Charles closed his eyes, and sat quietly. It was a pointless conversation, because they both knew they were never to be in control of their lives again. They had to depend on everyone else. Speaking about it wouldn’t make it any easier, and it certainly didn’t make it better. Charles survived day by day pretending it wasn’t happening, having to talk about it with Raven just made all his fears return.

“I don’t know Raven, I don’t even know his name. I’m not encouraging him if that’s what you mean,” he said feeling deflated. It was the truth, but Raven’s worry was understandable.  

“I’m scared he’ll make you marry him, and you’ll be taken away from me.”

“I’m scared you’ll join the war and be taken from me. But we can’t think that way,” Charles said. He returned to reading his book with Raven hanging onto his side like a limpet.

But Raven was right, there was a mile of difference from Angel’s superficial gifts, to the presents he had been receiving. Gloves, a hat, stationary, so many books, a leather bound diary, the list went on and on. There was never a name with them, but Charles knew they were all being sent by the same person. Someone who clearly knew him well, or knew of him well, knew what he liked, what he needed. Someone who cared.   

 


	3. Sudden Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life for Charles and Erik suddenly rushes ahead of itself. War continues, and choices are made without much thought.

Erik dropped to the ground, bullets he hadn’t felt coming flew over his head. He tired to halt their progress, but his powers felt drained. His battalion had been fighting for weeks, and he was feeling the strain of it. They were to secure the outpost, clear the area, and wait for their replacements to arrive to relieve them of duty, but so far, progress had been slow. Up ahead, Erik could see Corporal Frost, she’d shifted into her diamond form at the onslaught of fire, and was now glinting in the hazy light.

_Erik, five ahead._ She spoke into his mind, not turning to look his way.

Taking a steadying breath, Erik pulled his energy inwards, allowed himself a moment of calm, and then spread his awareness outwards. She was right, as usual; five human soldiers remained on top of the battlements, gun sights trained in his direction. Now that he could see them, they didn’t stand a chance. Dead bullets from the ground around him rose into the air at Erik’s command, hovered for a moment as he felt their weight in his blood. Then, with the flex of his hand, they shot forward, landing with brutal force in the skulls of the enemy. Each bullet striking its target with a vibration that travelled a satisfied path up Erik’s arm.

_Targets annihilated. Soldiers stand down._ Emma commanded into the minds of her battalion, before turning to give Erik a nod of approval. _Nice work Lance Corporal._

***

General Sebastian Shaw was a shrewd man, with a swarthy face, and a mean temper. Erik disliked him, but since there was little room for personal feelings in war, he’d made sure never to make it apparent. Still, that didn’t mean he had to look happy about being ordered to his superior’s headquarters the moment he’d arrived back into the City. Leave was leave, and now he was wasting precious moments in the company of this old man.

He didn’t know what he was being detained for, his conduct had been exemplary as always so this was unlikely to be a reprimand. Corporal Frost hadn’t been very forthcoming with the reason for his summons either. But for the General to single him out so, it was not a usual occurrence.

“Ah, Lance Corporal Lehnsherr, come in,” Shaw said as he watched Erik salute him. “At ease solider. Take a seat.”    

He had that smarmy grin on his face that Erik especially disliked.

“You requested me?”

“Yes. I wish to congratulate you on your recent performance, a great victory for our troops, and inform you that I wish to promote you to rank of Corporal.”

Erik felt momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected to go up to the next rank for some years to come, and suddenly his life seemed to spring ahead of itself somehow. Things he’d been saving for suddenly bounced into the forefront of his mind. Distant dreams were suddenly not so distant, a higher rank meant a raise, and a raise meant… 

“I thank you Sir,” Erik said still shocked. He stood and saluted once more, but Shaw waved the formality away.

“You’re twenty four Lehnsherr, what are your future plans son?” General Shaw asked, looking inquiringly at Erik from his side of the desk. Erik wasn’t so stupid as to believe that he was interested. Rather, Shaw wanted to know because he would be sure to stop him if he didn’t agree with them. A corporal was a valuable commodity in the war effort, and they all belonged to Shaw.

“Well I…” Erik said then paused. Was this really a possible reality now? He could hardly believe it. “I thought I might get married Sir.”

Shaw nodded, clearly happy with that response.  

“Married? Yes, well I suppose that would be proper. You have someone in mind?”

“Yes,” Erik said. He knew now Shaw was fishing for information. The General was very good at matching up his favourite mutants in alliances, and Erik knew that he’d probably had someone lined up for him too. 

“Good. Good. Excellent,” Shaw said, then the pause came and Erik sat rigid in his seat. “And who might that be.”

“Charles Xavier,” Erik replied. Speaking his name gave him a sudden rush of blood to the head. He’d never confessed his want for Charles to any one, and now here he was, telling General Shaw.

Shaw’s smile never left his face, but his eyes became calculating. Erik could see him weighing up the idea in his mind, and he felt sick. Please, he begged, please don’t stop me. Slowly, Shaw rose from his seat, and walked to a filing cabinet.

“Charles Xavier,” he muttered under his breath. “Xavier.”

He started looking through some files, until he apparently found what he was looking for. He slammed the cabinet closed and turned around, the smile was even wider now.

“Sir?” Erik asked when Shaw said nothing.

“Excellent idea Erik, yes, wonderful. You’d make a wonderful pair… yes… excellent.”

Erik knew the General’s mind was travelling down the line of how he could best exploit them both in this war, and what he might benefit from himself by having this alliance made. Erik in his palm as a corporal, Charles, a powerful telepath sworn to stand by his side. No wonder he was so happy. 

Erik left feeling at odds with the world. He’d been fighting for what felt like so long that he wasn’t sure how to even walk down the street anymore. Feeling in a daze, Erik walked through the town towards the soldier barracks, barely even feeling the heavy pack on his back. Then, as he reached the main street, his path crossed with the last person he’d expected to see.

Charles stopped dead in front of the soldier, the man’s thoughts suddenly blinding him.

_You’re wearing the scarf I sent you._

 It was him, the one Charles had been thinking about, the soldier who had stepped forward to save him from the world at the gates. The one who had spoken into his mind. He’d sent the presents; he was the one who cared. Charles felt dizzy as he looked at him, frozen to the spot with the surprise. The soldier’s face was tired, his uniform covered with dust and dirt, boots unpolished, a scruff of a beard on his face and his hair unruly. But his eyes burned into Charles with an intensity that rooted him to the spot.

“Oh, it’s you,” Charles said. They stood looking at each other until Charles blushed and looked away.

The first thing Erik had noticed was the scarf wrapped tight around the boy’s neck, the one he’d picked out for him almost a year ago.  The colour against his pale skin made him look like he was made of alabaster, and completely otherworldly. Then, a flush of colour spread across his cheeks. He was beautiful, more so than Erik remembered, slightly taller, the baby roundness of his face disappeared into a sharper profile. But his eyes were just as bright.

“You remember me?” Erik asked, surprised.

“Well… I… we never actually…” Charles stammered feeling awkward. He smiled, hoping Erik would fill in the gaps of what he meant to say.

“I’d like to take you out,” Erik blurted. The boy’s eyes widened and Erik could have kicked himself for his stupidity. The silence between them was awkward as the boy started to frown and look sceptical.  

“Well…OK,” Charles said, not quite sure what he was doing. This isn’t how he’d imagined their first meeting to turn out. Shouldn’t there be more romance, and some more miscommunication, maybe some letters, and another chance encounter? Or perhaps he should stop reading books about romance and just get on with it. “I live at…”

Saying yes wasn’t going to make the sky fall down. Besides, hadn’t this man been secretly courting him for months? Charles wished he’d put his name on the gifts, perhaps then this wouldn’t have been so weird.

“I know where you live,” Erik said. “I’ll call at seven.”

The straightforward manner of his speech told Charles that the man had been on the front line a little too long. He spoke as if he was giving Charles his orders.

“OK,” Charles said again. Really, what else could he say. The solder wasn’t asking to come round at seven, he was telling him that he was coming around at seven. Whether Charles was ready or not.

“Charles!” Angel called from behind him. Charles turned to see her hurrying towards him, looking cold and harassed. But as soon as she saw who company he was him, she smiled, and her game face was back on. “Oh, well _hello_ soldier.”

Erik nodded at her in greeting, took one more lingering look at Charles, and then continued on his way.

“Wow, who was that?” she asked as they watched him walk away. Charles wondered how he could carry such a heavy pack on his back without looking as if it weighed him down.

“Oh God, I still don’t know his name!” Charles cursed. He’d been so busy staring at him in shock he’d never asked, nor had he looked into his mind for the answer.

“It’s him isn’t it? The one who’s after you,” Angel said, putting two and two together nicely. She grinned, and linked her arm with his. “Nice, very nice. You should totally say yes.”

“I did.”

“Oh I taught you well,” she said pleased, as if she’d made the match all on her own and now she was reaping the reward.

***

Erik stood with his hands firmly at his side, his back straight, and his head high. He couldn’t stand in any other way anymore, having been in the army for so long. But rather than being inspected by his superior officer, he was being scrutinized by a gaggle of giggling children. There were so many of them. Erik had never seen so many kids all in one place, not for a very long time. Perhaps, not since his own school days. He felt more nervous in front of them than he did out in the field.

“Charles! There is a Corporal Erik Lehnsherr here to see you!” the matron yelled, with her heavy booming voice of authority. She shouted up the stairs into the mysterious world above, much to the hysterical amusement of the children gathered under her feet.  

Footsteps hurried along the corridor above Erik’s head, and he looked upwards feeling awkward. He hadn’t expected so much attention, but it seemed every child in the school needed to pass their judgement over him. Then, finally, Charles was hurrying down the stairs in front of him, his step light and fast, his face was flushed. Maybe with the rushing, or maybe he didn’t like the audience either.

“Shall we go?” Erik asked, before Charles could say anything.

The boy simply smiled, and did up the buttons of his dark grey pea coat. It was patched at the elbows with a brown material, and the buttons no longer matched. But it didn’t seem to matter, no one would be looking at his clothes, not with a face like that. And for tonight, Charles was all his.

Charles swept his eyes over the solider, standing straight backed in his dress uniform, dark green coat and gold epilates. Charles didn’t know what they signified, but Erik cut a striking figure, and it was with some disbelief that he walked out into the evening with him. Why had he’d been chosen? Surely, a mutant like Erik could have his pick of potential partners, so what was he doing?

“You have been well? This past year I mean?” Erik asked. For all his dreaming of Charles, he suddenly realised that all their conversations had only ever taken place in his head. What was he actually supposed to say now that Charles was really here?

“Yes… I suppose so. Thank you… I know you sent me those gifts.”

“I can’t have been the only one,” Erik replied.

“No… but no one else ever sent me a scarf,” Charles said with a smile. “I mean… no one else ever cared what they sent. Um… I don’t want to sound stupid… but what do I call you? You never told me your name.”

“Call me Erik,” he said, holding open the door for Charles.

A few years ago, such a place as these meeting rooms wouldn’t have existed. But as ever, having money meant needing something to spend it on, and life was starting to become more enjoyable for those who could afford it. Eating a well cooked meal in warm and pleasant surroundings was no longer a dream. At least, a select few were living the dream, the rest were still just wishing. Until tonight, Charles had been left standing in the cold looking in on another world. Now, Erik was opening the door.  

“I don’t think I’ve sat near a fire since I arrived here,” Charles said as they took a table together near the fireplace. Immediately he removed his coat, and settled into his chair, shuffling against the cushions. “It’s nice, I’d forgotten.”

Charles learnt very fast that small talk was not Erik’s forte. Charles tried his very best not to monopolise the conversation too much, and kept his questions light. Mostly he spoke about what he was studying, and his interests, and Raven. Erik mentioned his mother, and their home, but mostly seemed happy just to sit and listen. He also seemed keen that Charles eat as much as it was humanly possible to eat.

Finally, Charles sensed that Erik wished to say something, and so made sure to sit quietly for a moment. He smiled nervously.

“I’m sorry I could not make my intentions towards you clearer before, but war has kept me away.”

Charles bit his lip as he thought about this.

“You’ve still not made your intentions clear,” he said at last.

Erik frowned. Clearly he was under the impression that they were on the same page, and looked concerned to find that they were not. Charles didn’t delve into his mind, he felt he owed this man the time to find his words, to chose what he wished to say with care. Still, Charles’ heart started to beat faster with the anticipation of what would follow, and the confusion of how he felt about it.

“Today I was promoted to Corporal, I have money, I have prospects… but I’m twenty four and I need to marry.”

Charles turned a little paler. His power curled out of him and towards Erik with a frightened touch. He was scared what he might find there, but more scared of his own feelings. He didn’t know what to do, when there was so much want coming his way. Erik was a stranger, who had sent him little anonymous gifts over the course of a year. He was a daydream fantasy, but he was not supposed to be this real this soon. The wave of need from Erik was suddenly overwhelming, and Charles shut down, his powers retreating, his eyes lowered.

“I want to marry you Charles,” Erik assured him. “I’ve already discussed it with General Shaw, and he has agreed.”

This was unexpected. General Shaw had agreed? Already? Before Charles had even been asked?

“Why?”

“I don’t want anyone else,” Erik assured him earnestly. The way in which he spoke made Charles believe him instantly. “Consider me, please.”

Still, someone needed to be sensible here. Clearly the war had addled this man’s mind. They’d known each other three hours, that wasn’t enough to stake a lifetime on. 

“I don’t even know you,” Charles hedged. He wasn’t saying no, but neither could he say yes. His mind just couldn’t keep up with what was happening.  

“Yes you do, you’re a telepath,” Erik replied, surprising Charles again. “You know me… or you could know everything… try Charles, look in me now.”

“No,” Charles said forcefully, retreating backwards in his chair. He wouldn’t do it, but his powers betrayed him, sneaking forward with the promise of finding something worth his while. He tried desperately to rein it in, but Erik was pulling him in with such fever that he couldn’t escape. “Stop that.”

Erik was a fine man, a good honest man, but he had a temper, and a passion inside of him that Charles was afraid of. Charles had always known he would marry, yet faced with such a man, his confidence in his ability to be a worthy partner dissipated. Someone like Erik needed someone strong by his side, and the thought of disappointing him scared Charles more than anything.

Charles nodded in defeat, there was nothing to say. He’d drifted through Erik’s mind without a care for what he found, and saw more goodness than he’d expected. It just made his confusion worse.  

“You expect too much of me,” Charles said sadly. He was the one who was lacking. He was the disappointing one, and Erik would soon discover it and hate him for it.

“Charles, as soon as you turn seventeen, you’ll belong to General Shaw. He’ll use you however he sees fit. You’re a level seven mutant, you’ll never be free,” Erik told him, not sparing his words, or sparing Charles the harsh reality of the world they were living in.”Charles, let me save you.”

“Let me think on it…” Charles said feeling mildly sick from abusing his powers, and the adrenalin that had kicked out into his blood.

“You’re going to say no,” Erik replied looking hurt.  

***

Charles agonised over his decision for the rest of the evening, made all the worse for Erik’s hopeful face whether he opened his mouth to speak. Erik was genuine in his offer, he really wanted to marry for all the right reasons, the ones that didn’t really exists anymore. He wasn’t interested in Charles’ mutant abilities, he simply thought he was lovely and wanted to look after him. It was perhaps naive, and Charles found that the hardest thing to deal with. He really didn’t deserve it. He’d been so prepared to make an advantageous match with someone who wanted a good alliance, and a spouse with good social standing. He was level seven, just as Erik had pointed out, he was useful. But Charles had been unprepared for this. He wasn’t ready to be loved, nor ready to be in love, or any of that.

But suddenly, the answer came to him, blinding him with the clarity. As he looked up at the cold and awful school building, Charles realised what he might be risking. You didn’t get a proposal like this every day. And he couldn’t be foolish. His young years had protected him thus far, but the days were ticking out. Like Erik said, his mutation would not allow him a quiet life, if such a thing was true anymore. Marrying would allow him the freedom to refuse to go to war.

“Erik,” Charles said, as they reached the door. “Yes.”

“What?”

“Yes,” Charles said again. “I’m saying yes.”

“You’ll marry me?” Erik asked as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Charles though that was fair enough, since he couldn’t believe that he was saying. It sounded ineloquent, clumsy and stupid, but there seemed no other words.

“Yes.”

Erik didn’t smile. He barely moved. It was suddenly clear to Charles that while he had been thinking it over, Erik had become a little less romantic. Charles wondered if Erik was suddenly seeing this arrangement without his rose tinted glasses.

“But?” Erik asked, looking at Charles straight faced and serious. “Well? There is a ‘but’ somewhere isn’t there?”

Charles refused to feel offended; after all, he was the one being the deal maker here. Erik had offered him romance and he’d shot it down, now, from a cynical point of view, they were making a bargain. This might be the last time Charles held any semblance of power over this man, as he agreed to take his name and throw his lot in with Erik’s fate.  

“You have to look after Raven too, and I don’t want to live in the barracks,” Charles said bluntly. He left it at that. He cared about nothing else. As long as Raven was safe, then nothing else mattered.

It took a while, but finally Erik smiled.

“Is that all? You sure know how to make a man worry,” he said with great amusement at Charles’ expense. “Fine, I’ll buy you a house, whatever you want. Your sister can live with us.”

“Really?”

“You want a pony too?”

“Now you’re teasing me,” Charles said folding his arms. He felt annoyed by Erik’s amusement on his behalf.

“Charles I’m trying to marry you, not lock you in a dungeon,” he said earnestly. “I’ll do whatever will make you happy.”

Charles believed him. It was strange to feel so wanted, and Erik’s happiness at being accepted almost brought tears to Charles’ eyes. He couldn’t believe what was happening. Out of nowhere, this man wanted to give him a home of his own again, a place to be safe. He’d have a real family once more, and Raven wouldn’t need to be afraid. The only drawback was that it came with a terrifying price tag. Charles knew he was doing nothing to hide the shaking of his hands, or the frightened look in his eyes, and Erik would be an idiot not to see it.

“Is being a war hero not enough for you Erik, you have to save me too?”

“You’re worth fighting for, believe me,” Erik said. He took Charles’ gloved hand and kissed the back of the leather before he left him.

Charles fumbled for the door handle, and shut the door on the cold night. Feeling his legs shake, he sat down on the bottom of the stairs. For a while he couldn’t move, caught between the past and the future. 


	4. Lament

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charles and Erik make a bad beginning.

In the morning, Raven was in the grumpiest of moods that Charles had ever seen her in. she refused to speak to him all through breakfast, and it was only when they met with Angel later in the day that anything was said. Of course, Angel asked the question Raven had been avoiding without any hesitation at all.

“So, how did it go?”

“He asked me to marry him, and I said yes,” Charles said. Angel’s mouth fell open in surprise, but Raven immediately jumped to her feet, threw her pen to the ground in anger and towered over him like a raging bull.

“You have to be fucking kidding me!” she all but screamed. “You said yes? You don’t even know him! What the hell are you doing?”

Her anger startled Charles so much that he could hardly find his voice. Next came a wave of anger, which was less easy to dispel. Raven had no right to judge his choices, she wasn’t him, and she wanted different things. He wanted to tell her so, but he knew it would only make things worse. She was worried; her anger was coming from a desire to protect him from danger, which she apparently saw in everything. Charles couldn’t fault her for that. If the tables had been turned, he’d probably of reacted the same.

“I don’t have a reason to say no,” he told her, his voice low and speaking slowly. He wanted to appear calm, but Angel gave him a worried look at his tone.  

“Uh, yeah you do!” Raven persisted, not tempering her actions at all.

“Alright, fine,” Charles snapped, standing up also. “You want the truth? Here’s the truth! I stood outside and I looked at the school, and I realised, I didn’t want to come back. I’m going to marry Erik.”

Raven looked horrified, but finally sat back down in silence. She said no more, picked up her pen from the floor, and began writing in her exercise book again. Clearly she wanted to be left alone to sulk. Charles directed his powers away from her, refusing to hear anything she was choosing to think about him right now.

“Well … congratulations,” Angel said after the storm had apparently passed. She gave Charles a small smile, and then left him to deal with Raven alone.

***

“I love hot chocolate,” Charles said as the steam from his drink rose into his face, and the warmth of the mug seeped into his hands. “I didn’t even know you could still buy it.”

“Commerce is improving.”

Charles smiled. Erik’s brand of conversation was growing on him, but usually the more interesting information came from his mind when his mouth was closed. Charles had learnt in the past five minutes that Erik didn’t think much of his superior officers, apart from someone named Emma, and had pretty much lost hope for the resistance. It had come out of nowhere, but Charles had no problems using his powers when thoughts were all but thrown at him.  

“You think the war is lost?” he asked innocently. “That General Shaw has run out of options?”

“How did you know that?” Erik asked looking worried. He turned his head in both directions, looking for anyone who might have overheard.

Charles tapped the side of his head. _You were thinking it._ It was odd, but at no point did Erik seem alarmed by Charles’ abilities. Usually other mutants gave him a wide berth, even Raven had yelled at him for accidentally overhearing her thinking. It wasn’t like he went digging through people’s minds, even though he could have if he’d wanted, it was just that sometimes minds just insisted on shouting at him.

“What do you think?” Erik asked him.

Charles hadn’t expected that. No one had ever asked his opinion before, but that hadn’t stopped him considering the future as a whole. Erik seemed genuinely interested, so he didn’t hold back.

“The humans shot my father for citing mutant tolerance. My mother went crazy and abandoned me. We will not win by our current mode of violence, that I am certain of. The enemy is too many and too cruel.”

“You’d favour peace terms?” Erik asked, the sense of surprise rolled from Erik’s mind into Charles’ with such ease, that for a moment Charles forgot how to keep his own feelings separate.

“For peace to happen today, we would have to surrender first…. But I’m not sure that I’m ready, are you? I want to hate them a while longer. For peace in the future, we’d need to be on higher ground.”

Time spent with Erik was strange, it seemed short and fast all at once. It passed by as seconds, or lengthened into forever. Most of the time, Erik simply sat in silence, looking at Charles as if he was the most charming thing he’d ever seen. Charles on the other hand, was nervous. He’d made a commitment that he wasn’t sure he was ready for. He didn’t love Erik, no matter how nice he was. Sure, he was handsome; in fact, he was perfect to look at, strong and confident. But still, Charles couldn’t come terms with his choice. Was he really going to marry this man? His life wasn’t supposed to be like this, his parents weren’t meant to die or leave, and he and Raven weren’t supposed to be orphans in the rubble of London.

“You’re thinking very hard,” Erik said.

Charles blushed, he realised they had been sitting in silence for some time. Erik had let him get lost in his worries, and Charles realised he knew. The idea was right at the forefront of Erik’s mind now, he knew every doubt Charles had. He knew Charles was nervous, ready to change his mind, ready to run. And yet, it made no difference. Erik was so sure that he was going to marry Charles, that Charles’ doubts seemed to pale into nothing for him. He was sure he could make Charles happy.

“You know what about,” Charles replied.

“Yes… You know I would never hurt you, don’t you?”

It was painful to hear, because Charles believed him wholeheartedly. It wasn’t Erik, it was himself he was scared of. He was the one who was going to hurt Erik. He was the one who would fail.

“That isn’t what I’m afraid of,” he mumbled.

“Come walk with me,” Erik offered.

Charles walked in silence next to Erik, tightening the scarf around his neck. He tucked his hands in his pockets to keep them warm. It was cold, snow was in the air, and Charles’ face was numb. He had to walk fast to keep up with Erik’s longer stride. In the biting cold, Charles couldn’t bring himself to find the effort to ghost over Erik’s mind to find out where he was taking him. But since he trusted him completely, Charles followed along blindly. Then, they took turn into a residential street, and Erik slowed his place.

“Here, pick a house… where would you like to live?” Erik asked. Charles almost imagined him like a magician, waiting for applause after his final act.   

“You have somewhere in mind,” Charles said intrigued. “You must do, or you wouldn’t have brought me here.”

Erik’s enthusiasm overflowed from him, and slowly it started to affect Charles. He found himself starting to feel excited. The feeling surprised him, this sudden eagerness for seeing their potential new home wasn’t something Charles had expected. He followed with anticipation as Erik led him further down the street, and as they walked, Charles cast his mind outward into the neighbourhood. Young married couples, children, elderly people, good people, and hardworking people. Houses remained in differing states of repair from the past bombings, some raised to the ground. Then, Erik stopped. The little terrace house stood behind a metal gate and a red brick wall. Some of the windows were broken, a few tiles had fallen from the roof, but it looked sound.

Charles saw it through Erik’s eyes. He saw the roof mended, and windows with new glazing. A freshly painted door and the weeds gone from the front garden. Erik saw it as bright and welcoming, because he imagined Charles inside of it, making it a home. It was such a touching dream that Charles felt compelled to reach out and take Erik’s hand. It was the first time he’d touched him with purpose, and he looked into Erik’s eyes and blushed.

“What do you think?” Erik asked, looking nervous. Charles knew he was putting himself out on the line here.

“I think we could make it work,” Charles said, eager to see Erik smile again.

Only, this time the expression on Erik’s face was one that Charles couldn’t read, but he knew instinctively that Erik would kiss him. Feeling his heart flutter with nerves, Charles closed his eyes as Erik came closer. Then his gentle touch brushed against his cheek, fingers moving to hold his face, tilting him upwards. Erik pressed his lips against Charles’, softly, trying to convey all of his feelings in one small gesture. He still couldn’t believe that Charles would be his, that he’d agreed to marry him, and that they would be together forever. He’d won Charles over with the house, just as he knew he would. Now, all he needed to do was hurry him down the aisle before his busy mind started working again.

Charles hadn’t expected much from his first kiss, but instead, he found himself breathless. He very rarely was without something to say, but now, he could think of nothing. He stood blinking up at Erik waiting for something to happen.  

“We’ll have to be married soon Charles… I don’t know how long my leave will last before I am recalled.”

The war. Charles had almost forgotten.

***

Erik found that most people were congratulatory when he told them of his engagement, all bar a few miserable souls. Emma Frost had been her usual icy self, but it was no more than Erik had expected from her. Now that they were of the same rank, he’d found himself more in her company than ever, and she’d certainly seen free to voice her opinions on his personal life.

“You’re marrying a boy?” she asked, raising her sharply groomed eyebrow. That expression said it all.

“Yes.”

“You never seemed the type,” she said, looking at Erik anew.

“It’s a good match,” Erik told her. She nodded in agreement.

“Damn right it’s a good match. He’s a powerful mutant Erik, you’re partnership will take you both up the ladder,” she said as if this was the only consideration on the table. Erik decided not to tell her anything more. She would already know if she cared to. “But I bet your mother isn’t pleased.”

His mother certainly wasn’t. As soon as he’d told her of his engagement she’d been frosty, then, when he’d mentioned his future would be with Charles, she’d turned downright hostile. To Erik’s great surprise, she had known more about the Xavier’s than Erik thought anyone had the right to know. Apparently, he’d been greatly ignorant about Charles’ former life before arriving outside the city dead on his feet. His father was rather famous, and before uprooting his family to Scotland to join the cause, they’d lived in America.  

“He’s a blue blood,” she said as if it was the worst thing anyone could possibly be. “He’s nothing like us Erik, what do you want with someone like that?”

“You just need to meet him mama,” Erik said, trying to placate her.

“He’s no good for you. You need to find a nice girl, someone quiet, who’ll have your babies and look after the home. Not this boy, he’ll ruin your life.”

Erik had only every seen his mother this upset before, and that was when his father had announced that he was joining a campaign in the North. She’d told him not to go, and she’d been right. He’d been killed almost immediately on arrival by a planted bomb. It had been a terrible time, and from then on, his mother’s word ruled. She always turned out to be right. But not this time, Erik was determined.

“Mama, you don’t know him.”          

“Neither do you! You won’t be good enough for him. He won’t want to live here in this house, no, it won’t be good enough for someone like him. Been brought up with money Erik, servants, privilege… he’ll not make a good alliance for us.”

“I’m not marrying him for _us_. I’m marrying him because I want him.”

Edie Lehnsherr rolled her eyes and slammed the pan she had been washing back into the water. It splashed up over the bowl and onto the floor in an angry wave.

“Oh God save us, he’s already ruined you,” she cried, mostly to herself. “You know what happened when you father didn’t listen to me?”

“He died.”

“He died Erik!”

“Mama, I’m not going to die because I’m getting married. You’re being ridiculous.”

But his mother was right about one thing, Charles did not want to live with his mother. Nor did he even seem that enthusiastic about setting a date. In the end, Erik wrote their names down in front of General Shaw, and in return was given the news that he was being recalled to the front line.

“You don’t really want to marry me, do you?” Erik asked as he set the ring down in front of Charles. The brushed silver metal was dull in the candle light. It was dull in every light. Erik had made it himself in a hurry.

“Yes I do.”

“I’m being recalled to the front. We have to marry today Charles, or not at all.”

Charles blinked at him. Erik was right. If he didn’t return in two months, Charles would have to leave the school and would have no husband, and nowhere to go.

“But the house… we haven’t started…”

“You can live with my mother,” Erik said as if that was obvious.

“I don’t want to live with your mother. She hates me!” Charles snapped.

“No she doesn’t.”

Charles looked at him as if he was stupid.

“Erik, I’m a telepath… she hates me. I can read your mind,” Charles reminded him. Erik took a deep and steadying breath to calm his nerves.

Charles Xavier was the most infuriating person he had ever met, and worst, the more difficult he was, the more Erik found himself bending over backwards for him. He liked to equate Charles to a game of chess, you made a move, Charles knocked you down, so you dodged him, made another, until you trapped him in the corner and he was finally happy. But Erik felt he’d finally hit a wall with this problem. Charles knew exactly what his mother thought about him, and Erik couldn’t blame him for not wanting to live with her. 

“Fine. Look, maybe you can convince her differently? Charles, I’m offering you everything, please, stop being difficult,” he said, finally losing his cool. To Erik’s complete surprise it seemed to work, because immediately Charles folded his arms, scowled and gave in.

“Alright, fine.”

This cat and mouse game apparently had no end.

“The romance is touching Charles, truly,” Erik told him.

Charles instantly felt guilty. Erik’s mother was right. He was a selfish little bastard with no thought to what he was asking of his man. Erik was a good person, who had asked for nothing, but he hoped for everything. He hoped for Charles’ love. He hoped that beneath the childish petulance that Charles would grow to love him. Charles hoped so to, because he was walking towards a very bleak future if he couldn’t. After their argument they reached the legal office in solemn silence.  

Erik didn’t ask again if Charles was sure. They’d been playing that game from day one, and Erik was positive that Charles was the least sure person ever. But life no longer allowed anyone the luxury of being sure. War made life fragile. There wasn’t a promised tomorrow, only a right now, and Erik couldn’t be sure he’d even return.

“So, not so very bad being Charles Lehnsherr is it?” he asked as they left. Charles was looking increasingly sad with every step he took.  

“You could have done better,” he replied.

“I could have done easier. You were bloody hard to tie down Charles.”

Charles smiled. Back handed compliments always seemed to make him smile, especially when they pertained to his difficult nature. Erik honestly didn’t know where he had found this supply of patience, but it had won out. Charles was his, at last.

“I still don’t want to live with your mother,” Charles said, making sure just to dampen Erik’s elation just enough to be his favourite brand of annoying.

“I know. Stay at the school as long as you can, and when I’m back, I promise, I’ll fix the house.”

“I could fix the house,” Charles told him.

“I bet you could,” Erik said. He wasn’t being sarcastic, he was quite positive that Charles could indeed manage their home. But it wasn’t something Erik wanted to do in a rush. He wanted to savour it, enjoy it. He wanted somewhere he could build alongside Charles. Charles had had his way on most things so far, on this, he would have to wait.

“No, really… I could.”

“Charles, I’ve just told you what is going to happen,” Erik said, using his Corporal voice, and earning himself a disappointed look in return. No, he wasn’t going to give in.

Charles scowled.

“Where are we going?”

“Home,” Erik said. He sighed again. Here came the next argument, he could feel it. Suddenly, he found himself amused once more, and tried extremely hard not to smile.

“Your house?” Charles asked looking wildly offended. “Can’t we just…”

“Charles, I’m leaving in the morning. We just got married, be kind to me please.”

Charles said nothing. They walked for what felt like forever, through many different streets until they came to a road that would have once been filled with shops. A sign over a large window read Laundromat, and to Charles’ surprise this is where they stopped. For a moment, Charles just looked around. This road was remarkably still intact, and the road was even still tarmaced. Double yellow lines remained painted next to the pavement, and the drains were clear. The air smelt clean, and a tree still stood some way further down, with a little metal fence around it. But Charles was still determined to hate it.

“My mother runs a laundry business,” Erik said as they walked inside to be greeted by two ladies scrubbing shirts in a huge vat of soapy water. The ladies greeted them both kindly as they walked through, leaving Charles feeling self conscious.

Then, before he knew it, he was standing in the back of the house, in front of Mrs Lehnsherr. She was holding a rolling pin, and from what Charles could tell wasn’t making any pastry. She just looked as if she might like to use it on him. 

“Oh, so here he is then, Charles Xavier,” she said as soon as they walked through the door.  

“Charles Lehnsherr actually,” Charles replied, then immediately wishing he hadn’t as her eyes narrowed dangerously.  

“Yes, well, we’ll see,” she said giving Erik a disappointed look.

“Charles, why don’t you go into the front room,” Erik said, half pushing Charles out of the room and out of the way of his mother’s angry stare. He closed the door after Charles, and turned to face his mother with an equally annoyed expression on his own face.

“Mama, please, you gave to stop this. We’re married now,” he told her.  

“Hm, he’s got his claws right into you I see. You being a fool Erik, he’s too young. What happened, did he blind you with his pretty face?”

“Something like that.”

“He’ll be no help to me around the house Erik, that boy has never done a day’s work in his life. What is he going to do, sit around the house all day while I work my fingers to the bone?”

Erik could feel a headache coming on. Between his mother and Charles, he know he was never going to have another moment of peace ever again. He could only hope that between them, they’d nag him into a better person before he finally gave up trying to please them both, and died. Maybe his mother had been right after all, marrying Charles would kill him. He spent a moment imaging his gravestone. Erik Lehnsherr, dead from marriage.

“Mama, you don’t need to like Charles, but you need to respect him. That is all,” he said. “And I didn’t bring him here to help out in the laundry. You need someone to help, you can employ someone.”

Charles looked pretty distraught by the time Erik found him. He’d made his way into the dining room and was staring at their best cutlery, which was proudly displayed in a box. He looked small and lost inside of the dark room. This had been a mistake. He should never have rushed Charles into this, it was cruel. He was so young. Erik wouldn’t have wanted to married at sixteen either, with no one to give him advice, no one to help him.

“I’ll let you fix the house Charles, whatever you want, just please don’t look so sad,” Erik said, walking to stand next to Charles.

Immediately Charles turned, and wrapped himself in Erik’s arms. He buried his face into his chest and began to cry. Erik held him tightly as he felt his heart breaking. He’d done this, and now Charles had nowhere to turn but to Erik, the one who’d made him cry in the first place. 


	5. Life in the Laundry

Charles sat with Erik on the end of the bed looking around at the dull room. Everything seemed grey and old, and the idea of living here for an indefinite future filled Charles will dread. He could still hear Mrs Lehnsherr’s thoughts from downstairs; her dislike of him was devastating. Spoilt little rich boy, who didn’t know how lucky he was, and who was going to ruin all their lives. She was probably right. Her thoughts were so loud that Charles could barely hear what Erik was saying.

“Don’t listen to her,” Erik said, taking hold of Charles’ hand. Charles didn’t even notice, and his hand felt so small resting in Erik’s. This didn’t feel like a wedding day, this was more like a funeral. 

“Pardon?” Charles said at last, looking like it was a real effort for his attention to stay with Erik.

“I said, don’t listen to her,” Erik repeated. “She’s just upset, she doesn’t mean it.”

Charles remained in silence for a while longer. Still looking around the room without comment, but his mind had stopped turning. He felt blank all of a sudden, as if he no longer knew who he was. Erik was trying so hard to make him feel better, but Charles couldn’t pull himself out of the black hole he’d sunk into. Random thoughts suddenly started coming to him, and then, he couldn’t stop himself speaking.

“You’re going back to war. What happens to me if you die Erik?” Charles asked, turning to look at him.

Erik realised it was no empty question, for some reason from the look on Charles’ face, this was troubling him. He didn’t like imaging his own demise, but Charles raised a valid point. What happened if he did die? Well, that was easy enough to answer.

“Well, you’ll get my pension and you’ll be free of me,” Erik said. There was a slight bitterness in his tone that he hadn’t wanted there, but for some reason it came out anyway. Charles must have heard it because he dropped his gaze and looked ashamed.

“Just because I didn’t want to get married right now, didn’t mean I didn’t want to marry you at all… you know that right?” Charles said, almost as if he was begging Erik to believe him. “I’m scared Erik. I’m scared of everything.”

“I know,” Erik said.

Charles wished he could lie and pretend he was happy, but he couldn’t make himself smile. Not even for a solider about to return to war. He was married now, and he felt no different. Wasn’t something supposed to happen? Wasn’t something supposed to change? Where was the grown up wisdom? Where was the adult certainty? Did everybody feel this way, lost and unsure? He knew what was supposed to happen next, he was supposed to go to bed with Erik and start a new life, learning the secret every newly married person learnt. But the thought of it filled him with nothing but emptiness. He was neither excited nor nervous at the idea.

“I dare not even touch you,” Erik said looking at Charles as if he feared he might run at any moment. “You’re mine, but you’re not mine at all.”

“Your mother is cooking us dinner,” Charles mumbled, not answering Erik’s lament. What could he say? Erik was right. They were bound to each other, but they’d moved no further together. “We should go down.”

Eating was awful, and Charles could barely force himself to swallow. The meat tasted of nothing as he chewed for what felt like forever. Erik spoke of practical things, money, arrangements for Charles; he was leaving his mother to mind it all in his absence, supposedly to leave Charles free to continue his studies without the added pressure. Charles knew it was because he wasn’t trusted yet, but said nothing.

“Well, it’s getting late,” Erik said at last, looking at the clock.

Charles felt the blood drain from his face until he felt sick. Erik’s mother stood and picked up her handbag and coat with a theatrical act of annoyance at the whole situation. Her disapproval was apparent in every little movement she made. She gave Charles a practically harsh look as she walked around him.  

“I’m going to a friend’s… I’ll be two hours,” she stipulated. The implied reason for her sudden departure was obvious; she was getting out of their way so they could do their marital duty. Charles blushed deep red.

Charles lay on the bed looking up at the ceiling, trying to remember how to breathe. Erik lay next to him, in silence, his heart hammering with nerves. Neither of them was ready for this, it was stupid to even try. To try and calm himself down, Erik found the coins in his pocket and with a flick of his fingers lifted them out into the air before them both. Immediately the expression on Charles’ face changed, forgotten was the fear of the moment, and he looked at Erik in wonderment.

“Are you doing that?” he asked.

“Yes,” Erik replied with a smile.

Charles watched the coins as Erik moved them, bent them out of shape, melted them, and created them anew. He raised his hand towards them, as if trying to feel Erik’s power himself.

“You never showed me this before…” Charles said looking a lot brighter. “You’re powerful… you never said you could do this.”

Erik smiled, perhaps his mother was right, Charles was a social climber. Discovering Erik was more interesting than he’d appeared apparently made all the difference. Maybe a lifetime together no longer seemed so bad? Their powers alone were enough to get them through life a bit more comfortably, together, and they were holding an excellent hand of cards.

“General Shaw was taking a risk letting us marry, what if we went rogue? We could take the whole city,” Charles said, still watching the coins as if he was hypnotised.

“You want to take over the city now? One thing at a time please darling.”

Perhaps it was the use of the name darling, but Charles suddenly looked at him differently. The fearful glint in his eyes had disappeared, and was replaced with optimism.  

“What else can you do?” he asked excitedly.

Erik thought about it. Mostly he was especially good at destroying and building things, but that wasn’t much fun. He looked at Charles, and then returned the coins to his hand.

“Shuffle up the bed,” he told him. “And lie down.”

Charles couldn’t move fast enough. His childlike way of being easily distracted from his gloom made Erik think that Charles’ tears hadn’t been all that despairing in the first place. He was like he said, just scared. Now that frightening grown up stuff was off the table, Charles had brightened up immensely. Charles watched eagerly as Erik placed the coins next to his side, then as Erik moved his fingers, the coins suddenly slid along the duvet and under Charles.

“I’m pretty sure that I can pick up, just using these coins,” Erik said. “You’re pretty skinny.”

“No I’m not,” Charles said. But there was little time for another argument, as suddenly Charles was smiling again as he hovered an inch off the bed. “Look, I can fly! Wait… it kinda hurts now.”

Erik pulled the coins away sharply, and Charles fell back onto the mattress. He started to laugh, until he became self conscious about Erik looking at him, and then stopped with a blush.  

“Charles promise not to go rogue and take over the town when I’m gone,” Erik said with a smile.

“Alright, I promise,” Charles replied with a smile also. “I’ll wait until you get back.”

Erik smirked, and flicked the coins upwards until the embedded themselves into the ceiling.

 “I’ll take you back to the school now,” Erik said, shuffling off the bed. Standing and straightening his clothes.

“But…” Charles said confused.

“Don’t argue with me Charles, let’s go.”

They stood at the front door of the school, back where they had started. The air was bitterly cold, and their hands were numb. As Charles looked up at the stars the idea of Erik leaving suddenly filled Charles with crippling fear. What if he never came back? He should have been nicer to him, and pushed his grumpy mood aside, but it was too late now. Their time had run out. Instead, he stood on tiptoes and wrapped his arms around Erik’s neck, pressing himself close. It felt nice, to be held by Erik. He was so strong, promising him protection and love. Right then, Charles wanted to kiss him. His experience of kissing Erik so far had been unexpectedly nice, and now that they were parting, the pressure of what needed to follow the kiss was gone.

Pulling back, he looked into Erik’s eyes.  

“I’ll be waiting for you,” Charles whispered, before leaning forward. Erik’s lips were cold, and he barely moved as Charles kissed him. It was chaste and innocent, but it felt so much more. It felt like the binding of their lives together, the promise that Charles was going to be waiting for him when he returned.

** Two Months Later **

Charles stood outside of Erik’s house feeling a sense of dread. He’d left the school for the last time, and now this gloomy place would be his home for the foreseeable future. Mrs Lehnsherr was inside, waiting for him. Two months had done nothing to lessen her hostility towards him. If anything, it had strengthened it, because now Erik wasn’t around to deflect her words. Charles had spent as little time as he could possibly manage with her since he’d married Erik, but now, there would be no excuse. He needed her, and perhaps in some way, she needed him too although she would never admit it.  

He knocked the door and waited. Mrs Lehnsherr opened it in silence, forcing Charles to speak a greeting first. She stood back and let him pass by, a heavy bag in his hand, his shoulders hunched. Her mind was silent, her lips pursed and she let Charles take his belongings into the house without comment. It wasn’t what Charles had been expecting, and he stood in the kitchen feeling awkward.  

“Have you heard from him?” she asked in her blunt manner.

Charles shook his head.

“I wasn’t expecting to,” he said. Of course they were speaking of Erik, who else would they be speaking of? Mrs Lehnsherr looked him up and down with obvious annoyance and then turned her back on him as if his mere appearance was disappointing to her.

Charles sighed to himself and went to unpack his few measly belongings. The only things worth notice were those that Erik had given him.

***

Angel met Charles at a small café, she was dressed in her best as she usually was and smiling at anyone who happened to look her way. She wasn’t married, but she wasn’t living at the school either. She’d found a position working for General Shaw, doing secretarial work in his office. Charles didn’t want to ask how she’d fallen on her feet like that, because he knew it probably wasn’t a story Angel would be willing to share. Someone had opened a door for her somewhere, and if they hadn’t offered her a ring, they’d offered something just as good.

“So, how is married life?” she asked, with a familiarity as if no time at all had passed between them. “I’m so jealous.”

“Erik’s away,” Charles said. “It’s pretty awful actually. His mother hates me.”

“I thought you would have your own house by now,” she said, shooting for the bull’s-eye like she always did.

“Erik had to leave before we could arrange anything. He said I could start working on it alone, but I don’t really dare. I think he only said that to cheer me up,” Charles explained with a sigh, remembering how hard Erik had worked to try and convince Charles that marriage wouldn’t be so bad. “But as soon as he comes back…”

Angel suddenly became still, and then looked quickly around at the other people in the room. Satisfied with what she saw, she leant forward conspiratorially. She beckoned Charles closer. Charles did as she asked, and felt reluctant to remind her that she could simply let him into her mind to hear whatever she needed to say.

“I don’t think that will be soon Charles, General Shaw is pushing troops further than ever. They’re trying to drive the humans out of the North,” she whispered, unaware as usual of the effect her words would have on him. “Charles, to be honest, I don’t think many will come back.”

Charles felt himself turn numb. He didn’t want Erik to never come home, and the idea of him dying made him feel sick, even if the idea had crossed his mind before. Hearing someone else say it made it all the more a possibility, and it wasn’t something he thought he could bear. He’d hardly begun his life with Erik, and the thought of it all being taken away wasn’t something he could comprehend with any ease. Charles clutched at his coffee mug a little tighter, and sat back in his chair.  His mind began to conjure up images of dying soldiers. Then, Erik’s face, and blood, and…

“Charles? You alright?”

“I don’t know if I love him,” Charles blurted. “I thought I could, and then I didn’t… now I don’t know… I don’t want him to die.”

Angel found herself with nothing to say. She knew this was no time to mention that his sister had just joined up this morning. Clearly, Charles didn’t know, because his worry was all for Erik. How much more would he be afraid when Raven left the safety of the city for the desolate wasteland of the outside?

***

Watching Raven leave the city was the hardest thing Charles had ever done. He’d refused to let her see his worry, refused to see into her mind to see if she was frightened too. She stood in her uniform, straight backed and proud. She wanted to fight for her right to live, but mostly she wanted to fight for their father, and his honour. She walked with her battalion out of the city, and climbed into the truck. She looked back once, and then was taken away towards the front line.

***

“Charles, what are you doing? Don’t do that, you’ll ruin it,” Mrs Lehnsherr barked with a voice that shot Charles through with fear. She snatched the shirt out of Charles’ hands. “Are you an idiot? You don’t wash this in that bleach.”

“How was I supposed to know that?” Charles asked, feeling the eyes of the other women in the room looking at him with pity. “You didn’t tell me!”

“Well, perhaps if you hadn’t spent all your life being looked after by other people, you would know!”

There was no point in arguing anymore. Charles could never win whatever he did. No matter how much he did around the house, or progressed in his housekeeping knowledge, he was never good enough. He always managed to ruin something, or drop a plate, or spill a speck of bleach somewhere he shouldn’t.

Mrs Lehnsherr made her money from taking in laundry, mostly from soldiers in the barracks, and managed to make a decent living out of it. After a while, she’d allowed Charles to help her, and finally Charles found himself with money in his pocket. Not much, but a little, and it was his completely, he’d earned it himself. Still, it meant Mrs Lehnsherr had another thing to yell at him about, since he seemed to be always doing something wrong.  

His hands were red raw from the scrubbing, and the heat of the water and his face often shiny from the steam. But in the work came a sort of freedom, as when he was working, he was left alone, and no longer felt in the way. He had a place in the home, finally, and after a while, Mrs Lehnsherr started to rely on him more and more. Until they created a sort of tolerant relationship and Charles became less of the enemy. Her insults lessened as she grudgingly thanked him for his hard work, growing more adept and skilled by the day. She no longer resented feeding him, but started complaining about how little he ate. Life slowly became more pleasant as they settled into a routine together, Charles taking on more and more responsibilities as the time went by.  

“Did you always live here?” Charles asked one evening as they sat together sewing buttons on an assortment of clothes. “In London? Did you ever see the houses of parliament? Or Buckingham Palace?”

Sometimes Edie Lehnsherr found speaking to Charles was like speaking to someone who had come from another planet. Until he had lost his father, it seemed his life had been untouched by the war. He had every little knowledge of how it had started, or why, or how important his father had really been. But the war had been her generation’s idea, Charles was too young, he probably hadn’t even been born when it had begun. She didn’t even know how old he was. He’d only known the world as a dump of rubble and shattered memories.

“My father was a mutant. He brought us here when the troubles first began in Europe. There was threat of nuclear attack then, he listened to it and got us out. It turned out to be true. The human’s dropped the bombs on our mutant city of Genosha, destroyed it. Now Europe is inhospitable for humans. Funnily enough, mutants don’t seem too affected at all,” she said, pleased to have such a captive listener for a change. Charles might not know too much modern history, but she’d found he was a quick study. He wanted to know everything, and was constantly reading. “London was a nicer place in those days… now; it’s nothing but a city of dust.”

“But did you see…” Charles tried again.

“No,” she said. “It was all gone before we arrived here.”

“It’s improving,” Charles said optimistically.

“It’s not improving,” she told him, jabbing her needle into the cotton of the shirt. “It’s terrible here, you’re just too young to realise that.”

She watched his face. He often frowned when he was thinking. She knew he was about to say something worth listening to.

“Well… it’s improving for me,” Charles said at last, thinking about all that had happened to him. Mostly he was thinking about Erik.

Edie had found much to her surprise that Charles was very keen to hear stories about Erik. He liked to look at old photographs of their family and wear Erik’s clothes. If Edie mentioned that Erik liked apple pie, then Charles immediately needed to learn how to make apple pie. At first it had been another thing to find annoying, now, she appreciated what he was trying to do. His devotion for creating himself the greatest friend for her son was no longer something she found she could stand in the way of. 

“That’s my father there,” she said, pointing at a photo. A grainy black and white photo of an elderly man had suddenly found itself on the mantelpiece. Charles started at it. It hadn’t been there yesterday, maybe now he was trusted not to accidentally destroy it. The old man was standing next to a young woman, and a boy. “And that’s Erik, he was such a lovely boy… he still is.”

“I know,” Charles replied, sounding wistful.

As the months continued, one after another, Charles continued in his strange domesticity. But, something was starting to change. Instead of dreading his future, he started to long for Erik’s return. He saw himself showing Erik all that he’d learnt over the past months, showing him the strange camaraderie between himself and Edie. He imagined Erik walking up the street, tall and handsome, wearing his uniform and turning heads. He imagined himself running, jumping into his arms, kissing him, surprising him, and welcoming him home. The thought of kissing Erik came to Charles every night, as he lay in Erik’s bed, staring up at the ceiling and the coins stuck there. It made Charles’ heart race. Maybe Erik had put those coins there on purpose, so that every night, Charles would think of him.  

Then, finally news came. The North was uprising, and Erik was missing presumed dead. Edie started to scream, Charles was crying, and his life fell apart once more. 


	6. Goodbye to London

 

Lost without direction, with no husband and nowhere else to turn, Charles had walked into the army barracks in a daze. He’d enlisted before he’d truly knew what he was doing, and returned home in shock of what he had done. Mrs Lehnsherr had screamed and railed at him, all the old insults returning with a brutal slap of reality. But this time, Charles knew her anger was misdirected. She was afraid that Charles would disappear too.

But what could Charles do? Sit around and wait for news and wait for the humans to advance? Perhaps if he took some action he could make a difference and maybe somehow he could find out what had happened to Erik.  It was becoming increasingly clear that what had been a fairly stable line in the sand between the humans and the mutants had shifted, been washed away, and now the mutants were losing even further ground. The humans were on the march.

General Shaw at least had been pleased, looking at Charles like he was nice shiny new toy to play with. Fresh out of the box. So he was fitted with a uniform and dispatched. For a year he defended the city limits, all the while knowing that Raven was still trapped up in the North in the danger of immediate battle, and finally the worst came again. Raven was missing too. Life became increasingly grim as the humans disrupted trade with the continent with their Channel blockade, and the small improvements to London life retreated backwards.

There was no food, rations became non-survivable and people panicked. There was nowhere for them to retreat to anymore, they’d lost all the ground they had gained over the past few years, and most of their seasoned soldiers were presumed dead. They’d lost.   

Then just when exhaustion became too much to cope with, and the city was on the brink of mass starvation and disease, the humans broke through the suburban defences and began their attack on the city.

“We’re the last defence,” Sean said, landing in front of Charles, out of breath and looking fatigued. “I flew here from the front line, General Shaw is dead. The humans are coming.”

“We have to hold the line,” Charles said, looking at his battalion. They were more a rabble troop now, himself, Hank a huge blue beast of a mutant, and Alex, who might have been better deployed on the front lines due to his destructive ability to produce raw energy. The last of their troop was Angel, who was looking increasingly panicked and held onto her gun with shaking hands.

“We’re fuck all defence Charles,” she said, her voice shaking. “We’ll be dead in minutes.”

“The city is already evacuating, we just need to stall for time,” Charles said. “Even an hour is better than nothing.”

But even as he spoke his words, he knew it was useless. They were only five, and even with their powers, they stood no chance. Angel was right, they were better off running. But Charles couldn’t do it, he couldn’t not try.

***

The continent was a bleak wasteland of broken and smashed cities, abandoned by humans and home to a few desperate mutants. It had been the only place Erik and his injured battalion could flee to when the humans suddenly decimated their numbers and forced them to abandon their posts. Of course it hadn’t been Erik’s intention to come here at all, they were supposed to sail to the south and back into London, but once out on the seas, the humans followed them. Chasing them away and blocking the route home.

Having gotten his troops back on land, Erik found himself unable to return. He had divided loyalties. His men needed him, in the absence of anyone else, he’d been the most senior soldier there, and therefore been placed in the role of General. Even when Emma Frost arrived, he remained the undisputed leader. For a year Erik gathered his troops on the continent, bringing all the lost mutants who had been trapped here prior to their arrival, together in his makeshift town. With order and a plan established, Erik spent his time waiting for his chance. He sailed the Channel to keep a show of force for the humans benefit, ensuring that they didn’t come any closer, and gathered up fleeing mutants lost in the water. As time passed, their numbers swelled.  

It was one routine trip that brought a bout of reality into his life. After hailing a small boat adrift, Erik had boarded the vessel as normal and sought out the captain. The blue skinned girl with the fiery red hair stared at him murderously with narrowed gold eyes as Erik organised their rescue. All allied mutants, once on the water, now had nowhere to turn but to Erik’s new founded Continent. Most were more than grateful, offering their services in the newly forming army, or had skills to assist rebuilding the world. Most… but not this girl. She dogged Erik’s steps until she finally made her reason clear.

“Where is he?” she demanded, storming into Erik’s cabin unannounced. Her sheer presumption at such a disrespectful act took Erik aback. For a while now, he’d become used to being deferred to, as General. This girl however, looked at him like he was dirt. “Where is my brother?”

“You forgot to knock,” Erik said, watching her warily. He wasn’t about to acknowledge her question, and kept his expression stoic.

“I’m Raven Xavier. Charles is my brother. Where is he?” she demanded again, and suddenly the situation changed. She was Charles’ sister, and Charles apparently was lost to her. Where was he? The panic that set into Erik suddenly rivalled hers.

“You haven’t seen him recently?” Erik asked.

“No General Lehnsherr, I haven’t seen Charles in almost two years!” she said, looking at him like he was insane. “Stop fucking about, where is he? What have you done with him?”

“What makes you think I have the answer?”

“You left my brother in London?” she screamed, stomping forward and banging her fists on the table Erik was sat behind. “You shit! It’s not safe, London is being attacked. I trusted you. You were supposed to look after him!”

Erik stood, his height over Raven did little to intimidate her. She was furious, and whilst Erik was worried himself, he could do nothing to make this any better. Yes he had left Charles behind. He hadn’t looked after him like he’d promised he would. As far as Raven was concerned, here he was, sailing about not giving a damn, building a new life.

“I couldn’t get back to London,” Erik said, trying to reason with her. “Clearly, neither could you.”

“Don’t you turn this around on me! You married my brother, you’re responsible for him,” she said, but her anger was dissipating. She’d clearly had tried to return to London, but hadn’t been able to. If it hadn’t been for Erik, her boat would have been found by the humans and sunk.

“I am trying my best Raven. You really think I’d of stayed here if there was even the slightest hope that I could get back to him? The people here need me more; they were injured, dying, lost, and desperate. Now we’re growing stronger, we’re training, we’re not defeated yet. You really think Charles would have wanted me to walk away from this?”

Raven hesitated. Charles would be proud of Erik, there was no doubt about that, if what he was telling her was true. She forced herself to calm down. Erik wouldn’t have abandoned Charles, not unless he’d been forced to. He’d pursued Charles with such single mindedness that it was ridiculous to think Erik could turn his back now. No, Erik was in the same situation as she was in, unable to go home, stuck across the sea. But rather than despair, he’d made the best of what he’d been given.

“He’s in London, he’s with my mother. I have to believe that he’s safe Raven, because what else can I do?”

“Alright,” Raven said taking a deep breath and pushing her anger down and under control. “Tell me what I can do to help you. What is your plan?”

“The humans are going south. They’re planning to attack London and eradicate our people. But they will need all their troops. As soon as they leave the seas, we will return. We will sweep through the North and downwards, chasing them until they’re crushed.”

“Well… I hope you have room for another soldier, because I did not join this fight to be defeated”

***

The humans came, with their guns, yelling and looking for death. Charles felt his heart hammering with fear, it was going to happen again. He was going to watch the world burn one more time, watch everything that he had come to care about be destroyed. They couldn’t hold the line, Angel had been right, they were pathetic in number, and there was only one thing to be done.

“We can’t do any more Charles,” Hank said as they ducked down behind a heavy wall. “If we stay here we’ll die. If we run, perhaps we can fight another day.”

“I can’t run, I have family here,” Charles said. “I have to go back into the city.”

“No, you can’t, it’s not safe!” Hank said, his heavy paw of a hand taking hold of Charles’ jacket.

“I’ll meet you on the docks,” Charles told him, shrugging out of his hold. “Help the others.”

 Charles heard Hank shouting after him as he ran, but knew he wasn’t being followed. Hank would do as Charles had asked him to, and help the others to escape. But Charles knew he couldn’t leave the city without finding Mrs Lehnsherr. She was all he had left that mattered, the war having taken his sister and his husband. The streets were deserted as he ran, the only people in the streets were human soldiers, looking for mutants. Charles used his powers to avoid them, make himself unworthy of their notice, and finally managed to climb on the back of a passing truck as it headed to the east of the city.

The air was filled with the smell of burning. Homes, and lives, all going up smoke. The last few remaining buildings were toppling, the last few mutants running for their lives, scattering outwards into the wastelands of the unknown. The evacuation plan was to escape the seas, but beyond that, they were at the world’s mercy.  

The house was still standing, the street seemingly untouched. Charles slammed the door closed on the deserted street, and felt his legs shake.

“Mama!” he called. “Mama, are you here?”

It was only then that he realised the house was not as it should be. Plates had smashed in the kitchen, and the furniture was upended. Terrified of what he might find, Charles crept slowly through the house, finding nothing but more broken things and muddy footprints.

“Mama?” Charles whispered as he climbed the stairs. But the house was silent. Then, he suddenly became aware of hostile minds close by.

“These houses are empty.” Charles heard someone shout from the street. “Burn them.”

Carefully Charles peered out of the window, a group of human soldiers stood in front of the house, looking upwards and around at the surrounding buildings. They’d come to destroy everything, and Charles knew if he didn’t get out of here soon, he’d be trapped. Almost tripping over himself in the hurry, Charles ran down the stairs and skid through the lounge. For a moment he froze, not knowing what way to turn, then from behind him, something was thrown through the window and the carpet caught fire.

Blind panic drove him now out the back door and into the miserable garden with the broken patio and the rust stained fence. The long grass was covered with dew, and soaked his trousers as he ran through it. The fence wouldn’t take his weight, he couldn’t climb it, so instead of trying, he ran at it, slamming his shoulder into the panelling. It cracked under the force and creaked apart, flinging Charles out onto the other side.

“Hey, you, boy!” someone shouted.

Charles hauled himself to his feet and continued to run, down the path, passing more houses on fire as he did so.

“Stop!”

Charles swerved his path, jumped a small picket fence and crossed another lawn. Then, before he could even realise what had happened he was on the ground. Pain shooting up his leg before his vision turned white, and his ears filled with the roar of a beast. 


	7. A reason for being

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare yourself for some fluff :D

Charles woke to searing pain and the steady motion of being in a moving vehicle. Above him hovered the face of something large and blue, and as his vision focused, he saw the creature was bespectacled and concentrating hard. It was Hank. 

“It’s alright, I’m helping you,” Hank said, his voice calm and kind, his expression full of care. Charles looked down at the mutant’s hands, where he held a bloody rag.   

“What happened?”

“They shot you. Luckily, we found you before they could do anything worse. Charles you’re an idiot.”

“I had to look for….” Charles broke off to wince as Hank applied alcohol to his leg. “Mrs Lehnsherr.”

“Stop moving about,” Hank instructed, pushing Charles gently back. “Your area of the town evacuated first, she’s probably ahead of us.”

“I shouldn’t have gone. You shouldn’t have followed me.”

“Yeah, you were kind of an ass.”

 “Angel?” Charles asked, looking for the owner of the voice. She was driving the small vercle, and looked back over the driver’s seat with a smile. “Where are we going?”

“We’re taking a boat overseas…” Hank said.

“Yeah, it’s one fucked up adventure,” Alex commented bitterly looking cold and pale next to Hank.

***

Charles realised that he was no use to anyone during their escape, being in pain made his power impossible to control. However, they appeared to still be ahead of the humans, and the way to the docks was clear. However, once they’d arrived there was a further problem; all the evacuation boats had left. Charles heard his comrades speaking to one another in frightened tones, but the longer he was left sitting on the side of the truck, the more light headed he felt. After a while, he felt Hank picking him up and carrying him.

Without these people, Charles knew he would have died, and he certainly wouldn’t have made it out of London. It turned out that the Summers family had been waiting for them, Alex having made a plan for their evacuation long before the humans broken through the suburban defences. The boat was old, and it was cramped, but Charles couldn’t have been more grateful.

“Tell me about Erik,” Hank said, sitting next to Charles on the deck.

“Why?”

“You mentioned him a couple times, and I’m just curious. He’s your husband?” Hank asked looking genuinely interested. Charles suddenly found it weird, that for all the time they’d spent defending the city side by side, they’d never had time to talk to one another. There was so much about Hank that Charles didn’t know. 

“We were married one day before he had to go back to the front line,” Charles said, thinking back to that day and remembering how confused he had felt. How he’d been so frightened, and how so many terrible things had happened since he’d last seen Erik. It seemed such a stupid thing to be afraid of now. “I haven’t seen him for two years.”

Hank nodded in understanding. Charles knew he wasn’t the only mutant with a story like this. 

“At least you had that one day. The girl I liked left before I could tell her,” Hank told him, but seemed suddenly very shy.

“I wish he would come back to me now,” Charles confessed. “I didn’t treat him well before he left.”

“You love him?” Hank asked innocently. Charles frowned.

“Yes. I do,” Charles said, finding that it wasn’t such a difficult question to answer. He wasn’t sure when this had happened, but suddenly he just knew. He’d learnt his own heart over the past two years, and he wasn’t scared anymore. “Your girl left you said?”

“Yes.”

“What was her name?”

“Raven.”

Immediately Charles found Hank’s memories, seeing Raven running through the street, bundled up against the cold. She’d smiled at him before she stepped into a shop. He saw her blue skinned, in her uniform before she left, sitting in the back of a truck being driven away. He saw Hank’s anguish over sending her a present, and deciding not to put his name on the card. Of then wishing he had. Then realising he was too late as he saw her walking out with another man. His genuine feelings sparked no threat inside of Charles, rather, he wished his sister might have known this kind young mutant.

“My sister will find us, I know it,” Charles said, staring out at the water. Hank visibly relaxed next to him, and Charles realised he must had been working very hard to keep Raven out of his mind whenever he was with Charles. Since now that Charles was aware, he heard Raven’s name in Hank’s mind a few more times.

As the boat bobbed up and down on the sea, a high pitched scream sounded above them, as it grew louder a boy glided past them out over the water. Sean, was displaying his powers, making sure than any watching humans would stay away from them. Charles could feel no new minds for miles around, and so, presumed that they weren’t been followed at present. He couldn’t be one hundred percent of course, but it settled his nerves a little.

***

Charles woke to the feeling that something was wrong. Grabbing his makeshift crutch, he made his way unsteadily up from where he was sleeping, and struggled up the steps onto the deck. As he neared the top he realised he could hear shouting. As he pressed his awareness outwards he found he contacted many new minds, and then realised that the boat had stopped.

“We’re mutants on our way to safety,” Mr Summers was explaining, sounding frightened.

“What makes you think you are heading the right way?” came the reply.

Charles paused in his climb. He knew that voice. It travelled down his spine and made him weak kneed. With his heart hammering with expectation, excitement and fear, Charles stepped unsteadily out onto the deck and found himself speechless. It was Erik, he was alive, and he was here.

“Erik?” Charles whispered. That was Erik, and that was his voice. That was his mind. He was here.

Erik was stood on the prow of the boat, another ship of incredible size bobbing next to them in the water. It was clear then to Charles, that the engine hadn’t been switched off by Mr Summers, they’d been stopped by Erik. It was also clear, that whatever Erik was doing, he was quite happy to be giving them all orders.

Mr Summers continued to try explaining who they were, but Erik’s face remained impassive. It was only when the names of the mutants on board were spoken, and Erik looked in Charles’ direction that any emotion crossed his face. Charles couldn’t move, he could barely breathe. Seeing Erik after so long was shock enough, but feeling the shock that came from Erik’s mind made him dizzy. 

 “Charles,” Erik said, suddenly stepping forward as if nothing else mattered. He half crossed the deck before he seemed to remember who he was and what he was doing here. He stopped, held up his hand as a signal to his own crew and spoke to Mrs Summers once more. “You will all now disembark and join my ship. You will be taken to safety.”

Charles remained stock still as those him started moving, all apparently pleased to be getting off of the rickety old boat and onto the ship before them. Charles wondered whether it might have once been a cruise ship, taking people around the world on sunny adventures. Now, it was rescuing mutants, not a very glamorous career change. . The amazement of being ‘saved’ was clear in the minds around him. However Erik apparently must have explained his actions prior to Charles seeing him, because no one was questioning his right to be giving them orders.

“Charles,” Erik said softly, walking towards him. His mind was almost pushing Charles over with his desperation to show how concerned and guilty he felt for all that happened. “You’re hurt. What happened?”

Charles shuffled his balance on the crutch and looked away. He could feel tears forming in his eyes. He wanted to say so much to this man. There was so much that had changed, and so much he wanted to do, and be. Life seemed to be giving him another chance, but he could barely look Erik in the eye.

“I’m so sorry Erik, I tried to find mama, but she wasn’t there!” Charles said, words coming out in a panicked rush. He had to say this, he had to make sure Erik knew he’d tried. He tried so hard to keep Edie safe, but in the end, he’d failed. What would Erik think? Here he was, running away from danger, leaving Edie to fend for herself. “But the soldiers came and set fire to the house. So I ran, and one of them shot me. I don’t know where she is. It’s my fault Erik. I’m so sorry.”

“Charles, it’s alright, she’s safe, she’s with me,” Erik said.

 Charles felt his heart become so unburdened that he couldn’t think straight. Edie was safe, she was with Erik. It would all be OK now. They would all…. Erik smiled at him slightly, clearly not knowing what to do. With his smile disappeared as Charles suddenly looked at him with complete horror.

“Oh my God, Raven!”

“She’s safe also Charles. It’s you we were worried for,” Erik explained, taking a tentative step forward. “I never stopped worrying about you.”

Charles didn’t know what to say. Erik had saved them all. Everyone Charles cared about; they were all being looked after by Erik. It was more than Charles felt he could ever deserve.

“Is that your ship?” Charles asked meekly.

Erik turned around as if he’d forgotten all about what he was doing here and where they were again. He looked at the ship as if it was a stranger.

“Yes. I call her the Human Killer Three Thousand,” Erik said with a teasing grin.

“No you don’t, you just made that up.”

“Are we going to start arguing again?” Erik asked.

“No, weren’t not arguing…” Charles replied, then frowned as Erik raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re making me argue with you.”

With a look of annoyance on his face, Charles made to hobble past Erik and towards the ship.

“You can’t even walk,” Erik remarked as Charles struggled by.

“Yes I can.”

“Fuck sake Charles,” Erik exclaimed, grabbing hold of Charles and picking him up before he could protest. “Just tell me you’ve seen a doctor.”

“Yes, whilst evacuating from the city, I stopped at the doctors and he did some surgery on me, you know, under anaesthetic…” Charles stopped, because he was now being carried across on to the other ship in front of lots of people, and the last thing he wanted was to make a worse impression that he already was. “Hank is a doctor… of a kind… he did some doctor stuff to my leg.”

Erik didn’t look overly convinced, but he set Charles gently down on the ship’s deck in silence. Only to be immediately screamed at.

“You found him, you found him. Charles!” Raven yelled as he ran towards him.

A chorus of, ‘Oh, so that’s Charles’ filtered into Charles’ mind from the surrounding onlookers, before they drifted away. With Charles suitably distracted and looked after by Raven, Erik excused himself and turned to the wheel. They had work to do, there would be more mutants adrift in the Channel and the quicker they got searching the more would survive. Personal needs and wants had to come second today.

***

It became very clear to Charles, very quickly, that Erik was avoiding him, and had left him to sit in the cabin alone. When Charles had asked Raven where Erik was, all she could tell him was that he was busy with his duties onboard the ship. It worried Charles, they had had no time to talk, and the longer Erik stayed away, the more awkward it became. Charles needed to talk, he needed to know what had happened to Erik, and he needed to tell him what had happened to him in return. But it appeared that Erik didn’t feel the same way. Charles didn’t understand why he was being ignored like this, and was frustrated as he could barely get about on his own, so couldn’t go to find Erik. Instead, after he could take the silence no more, he used his powers.  

 _Why are you ignoring me Erik?_ He asked, finding Erik’s mind amongst so many others like a beacon in the dark. _I know you can hear me._

Still, no reply. No message. Nothing. Just more silence. Charles stared out of the window at the water, it was so murky and grey, full of debris from so much destruction. He was bored, and lonely, and the longer Erik stayed away, the more he panicked.

_Erik, you can’t leave me in here on my own._

_I’m not going to read your mind Erik, you’re going to have to talk to me._

Finally, when Charles had given up and had crawled under the covers to sleep, the door opened and Erik walked inside looking exhausted. The metal door closed on its own with just a wave of his hand, and he walked towards the bed wearily. He paused as he realised that Charles was awake and looking at him, and hesitated in his step.

“As soon as they realised your were my husband, they put you in my cabin. I’m sorry, I couldn’t assign you one of your own.”

“I don’t want one of my own,” Charles said quietly. He pulled the covers back on the empty side of the bed as a silent invitation. Erik was welcome.

Charles heart skipped a beat as he held his breath, waiting for Erik to move. He’d been wanting this moment for so long, but until now, hadn’t given the reality of it much thought. He felt self-conscious, wishing that there was something he could say to make this easier. But he couldn’t put his change of feelings toward Erik into any words, there were so many other things to be said before this. Erik would never believe him.  But why was Erik being so cold?

Erik didn’t move.  

“Why didn’t you come back?” Charles asked. Erik looked away, his expression was pained, as if he wished the conversation didn’t have to happen. The hesitation in Erik was new, and his thoughts were veiled.

“I wasn’t sure you wanted me to,” he said at last.

“Of course I did!” Charles said, sitting up. “You’re my husband... I missed you.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“You never believed me… Erik can’t you forgive me for being afraid? Can’t we start again?”

Looking at Charles was painful. Being apart had allowed Erik the luxury of dreaming about him, pretending that Charles was out there and loving him. Now, they were reunited and the dreams had to end. Charles wasn’t a dream, he was real, and he was reaching out for something Erik didn’t know. He didn’t know what to do with this more docile Charles. Erik’s feelings were still the same, Charles was more beautiful that he remembered, even more sweet, but the time spent apart had tempered Erik’s blind belief in a happy ever after. He wasn’t sure of Charles anymore. He wanted to believe as he once had, but he’d started to doubt. The idea of Charles had been enough to sustain him throughout the terrible time he’d spent fighting, but he hadn’t let himself truly believe that Charles would welcome his return. He stood in silence in front of Charles, until Charles sighed and lay back against his pillow staring up at the ceiling.

Erik looked at Charles’ face for a while, his eyes were closed, and he looked tired. With little else to say, and a wall suddenly between them, Erik finally moved and sat on the side of the bed to removed his boots. Dropping the rest of his clothes to the floor, he reached into a drawer to find a pair of old sweatpants. Usually he didn’t bother, but things were awkward enough and it didn’t need to be made more so. At last, he could put the moment off no longer, and climbed into bed with a anxious heart. The groan of the ship’s engines continued, the motion of going side to side never stopped, but Charles and Erik lay silent and unmoving.

“I’m worried I will hurt you in the night,” Erik said after it became apparent that they were both lying in nervous tension. “I mean, hurt your leg.”

“You won’t,” Charles replied. He chanced a look at Erik in the darkness. “Your mother was kind to me when you were away. She taught me many things… I can cook, and clean, and do laundry… oh and keep business records and… then I had to enlist.”

“What? You enlisted? What did you do that for? God, Charles, I might have lost you.”

The burst of concern from Erik lightened Charles’ heart. He did care, and he was worried about him. Suddenly Erik was looking at him, and Charles’ felt himself blushing. They’d never been so close before, if Charles moved they would be touching.

“When you went missing, I had to earn, General Shaw stopped your wages, and he gave us nothing. Mama’s business was failing… I had to do something, and I wanted to. I hoped I might find you.”

Erik looked as if he wanted to say something further, but instead, closed his eyes for a moment. Charles waited for him to gather his words.

“I failed you,” Erik decided at last.

“No… you…”

“Promise me you’ll never join the war again. I couldn’t…. Charles, I’ve only done all of this for you. If you weren’t here… then the world could burn and I wouldn’t care.”

Charles didn’t say anything. The idea of Erik only acting out of love for him, and the need to protect him made Charles speechless. Instead of words, Charles moved his hand across the sheet to find Erik’s, and laced his fingers in with his. The look of surprise on Erik’s face was the last thing Charles remembered before he fell asleep. 


	8. The City is Ours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here we go, the final chapter. This by far is the most nerve wracking thing I've ever written, I really hope you've liked it.  
> Once again, Happy Holidays riais xx

Erik woke in the night to the feeling of something wet against his leg. For a moment, Erik just sat up in the dark trying to remember where he was, before he switched the lamp on, and pulled back the covers. His heart jumped with the shock of finding that the sheets were covered with blood.

“Charles?” he asked, looking around the room. The bed beside him was empty, but a light was on in the bathroom and he was immediately on his feet. “Charles, are you in there?”

There was no reply. Now Erik was worried, the amount of blood was alarming, and he held his breath as he opened the bathroom door, afraid of what he’d find on the other side. Please please be alright, he begged as he stepped inside. Charles was sitting on the floor under the shower head, blood trickling into the drain by his feet. He was deathly pale, and didn’t appear to be conscious.

Erik froze, then he started stumbling back out of the room. As he ran down the corridor there was only one place he was going. There was only one person who could help right now, and that was Hank.

Hank’s cabin door swung open on its hinges with such force that it crashed into the wall. The blue beast yelled as Erik appeared in his room.

“Get up! It’s Charles! He’s bleeding.”

Hank stumbled out of bed, hand fumbling for his glasses, grabbed his medic kit and followed after Erik. He bounced into the wall as he turned the corner, his brain not processing what his body was doing. Erik was yelling at him, but it was only the sight of Charles that brought Hank out of his daze. His friend looked near dead, sitting on cold plastic of the shower.  

“Get him out of the bathroom for God’s sake,” Hank instructed. Erik picked Charles up carefully, and then turned around looking lost.

“What do I do?”

“Put him on the bed,” Hank said. Erik had clearly lost his mind, but Hank wasn’t too far behind him. Seeing Charles like this was a shock. He’d thought Charles was doing alright, he’d thought he’d done a good job tending to his wound. Clearly, he’d been mistaken.  

Erik lay Charles down like he was a broken china doll, and hovered around him looking frantic. For someone who commanded so much presence and exuded so much calm control normally, this panic was unnerving to Hank.

“Can you fetch Raven?” Hank asked. He didn’t really need Raven here right now, but she ought to be involved, and it would get Erik out of his way for a few minutes.

The wound was infected; the stitches had split where it hadn’t healed. Hank cursed himself for trusting Charles with his own care, he should have insisted on inspecting the wound daily. Now look at what had happened. The boy needed antibiotics and he needed them fast. Returning to London was out of the question, but perhaps, there were other alternatives? Erik had spoken about his battalion being injured when they’d first arrived on the continent, therefore they must of had some supplies if they’d managed to survive?

Raven arrived in the room looking alarmed, but turned out to be much more practical help than Erik had been. She assisted Hank in silence, washing Charles’ wound, bandaging him and changing the sheet he was laid on. All the while Erik looked on.

“He’ll be OK? Tell me that at least, he’ll be OK?”

“I can’t treat him here, I need antibiotics. We have to get him to your base as soon as possible,” Hank said. He knew this would meet a diversion of their present course and goal, but without it, he was sure that Charles was not going to improve.  

“But we’re collecting evacuating survivors,” Raven said, speaking her thoughts out loud. “If we leave our post mutants might die… oh my God, why is this happening? Erik, what do we do?”

Erik looked sick, no longer the cool leader. Then, slowly his expression changed, his shoulders straightened.

“Azazel,” he said, before turning on his heel and striding out of the room.

“What’s an Azazel?” Raven asked.

Hank shrugged.

***

Charles woke to the sound of someone talking, it was a voice he recognised and he opened his eyes to find Erik looking down upon him. He looked surprised to find himself looking into Charles’ eyes, and the book he was holding dropped out of his hand. Charles reached a shaky hand up to touch him, fingers ghosting over the sleeve of his shirt. Erik was real, and then suddenly he wasn’t, his image started to change, skin rippling into blue scales and red hair. Bright golden eyes looked at Charles apologetically.

“Raven?”

“Oh Charles, I thought I’d never see you again,” she said, tears forming in her eyes.

“Why were you…” he said, leaving the question open.

“Erik’s voice was the only one you responded to, so I took over from him,” she explained looking sheepish.

The way Charles had looked at her when he’d thought she was Erik had melted her heart. She hadn’t meant to see that, that was a secret she felt she had violated in some way. She hoped Erik would know it too, that she’d not accidentally stolen something that might never be given again. Charles had looked at her with such joy that finally, her fears of losing him to this marriage were dissolved.

“Raven what happened?”

“Your wound made you sick,” she said soothingly, touching his face with tenderness. “But you’re better now.”

Raven helped him sit up with all the patience of a devoted nurse. She steadied him as he walked to the bathroom, and stood guard outside whilst Charles stumbled about bleary eyed. Finally, after washing himself as much as he dared, taking great care over the stitches in his leg, Charles heard the door open behind him, and Raven’s hand appear around it, holding some clothes.

“Things have progressed since you were last with us,” Raven told him as he rejoined her. “Come on, you need to see this.”

Charles was surprised to find that walking wasn’t so difficult anymore. Sure, his leg ached, but it was nothing like it had been. Someone had done some serious surgery while he’d been out. He pushed this question towards Raven.

“Hank said the wound was badly infected. So Erik had you brought here to the continent, and treated you,” Raven said with a smile. “See, we’re not longer rocking about on the water. Tell me you noticed that right?”

Charles hadn’t. He wasn’t sure he would ever lose the feeling of swaying side to side. He could still feel it now, his inner ear playing tricks on him. Maybe that was why it was easier to walk?

“The humans can’t come here because of the radiation. But it’s no place to settle. The mutants here make do as they can, but London was a relative heaven compared to this,” Raven added as they walked.

“We’re going back aren’t we?” Charles said. It was obvious that returning to London was going to happen. That there would be more fighting, and more heartache to come. But what could they do? London was their home.

“Well you haven’t lost your brains in the fever,” Raven said with a smile. She knocked on a door and pushed it open.

Charles followed her only to find himself being stared at by a group of both recognisable people and strangers. The most shocked appeared to be Erik, as he stood unmoving behind the heavy wooden table. Charles felt himself blush under the attention.

“Would someone please vacate their chair,” Raven said. A red skinned mutant suddenly disappeared from his seat and appeared at Charles’ side.

“Please, take mine,” he said with a smile.

Suddenly Charles was jolted and found himself falling into the newly vacated chair, realising that he’d been transported by this mutant’s power. The jolt of it shot up his leg and made him wince.

“Charles, it’s nice to see you again. We’ve all been very concerned.”

Charles found himself looking at the blonde woman who had processed him into the city on the day of his arrival. The one who had looked into him and found every shadow of his mutation and given him a classification. He’d been afraid of her then, and she didn’t cut a very friendly figure now either, but the effort to be welcoming was at least sincere. Charles smiled at her, and avoided looking at Erik. It was too painful to look in his direction, and for a moment his mind was overwhelmed by the thoughts of others.

_So that’s Erik’s husband._

_Heard he got shot._

_I guess he’s sort of pretty, if you go for that sort of thing._

_Charles, focus_. Emma’s voice cut into his mind. _We have need of you_.

Charles listened to their planning and found himself being asked many unexpected questions. Being the most recent one to leave the city, he was considered the expert on the situation. Unwittingly Charles found himself plotting the attack on his city, all the while he felt Erik looking at him. Charles knew he was making Erik proud, and even though there was no joy to find in this situation, Charles’ heart felt light.

Still, there was a hovering cloud of things still needing to be said. As the meeting ended, and the mutants filed out one by one, Charles remained behind with Erik, and felt himself grow nervous. It was now, this was the moment, and it might not ever happen again. Charles fought for the courage to find the words to begin, but his heart plummeted as Erik’s mother suddenly arrived in the room. She was smiling at Charles, happy to see him again, and Charles felt guilty for being annoyed by her interruption. He was pleased to see her, to know she was safe and to know that she wanted to see him too.

“Oh Charles, I’m so glad you’re well again.  I was so worried about you. Doesn’t he look well Erik?” she said, smiling at them both.

“Well, we’ve things to do,” Erik announced suddenly cold again.

Charles looked at Edie, and she instantly realised that she’d interrupted something. She immediately stepped in front of the door and blocked the exit.

“Erik you can’t keep on ignoring me,” Charles said quietly. He knew Erik was uncomfortable in his present, for all he might still love him. He was no great talker, he didn’t like discussing feelings, and Charles knew all he wanted to do was escape out of the room.

But Charles was tried of living only a dream life with Erik, where Erik loved him from a distance. He wanted something more now, needed more.

“This isn’t the time,” Erik told him flatly. Charles knew Erik expected him to drop it, but not this time. Not with Mrs Lehnsherr here on his side.

“It won’t ever be the time, because you won’t make the time. Erik, please, just look at me.”

Erik folded his arms, and refused to turn around. His mother looked at him disappointed by his stubbornness.

“Erik Lehnsherr, you are going to stay in this room, and you are going to sort this out with Charles,” Edie said, blocking Erik’s exit by standing in the doorway. “He’s a good boy, and your being ridiculous right now.”

“So he won you over in the end did he?”

“Erik, Charles looked after me. He did everything he could to make our lives better. When you went missing, he went looking for you. Now don’t you dare walk away from this!” she all but shrieked. She looked determined to lie down a die if only that would prevent Erik from leaving the room.

“I can’t bear to look at him,” Erik snapped at her, his back still turned on Charles.

“Erik please, I love you,” Charles pleaded. Evidently this was the wrong this to say, because Erik immediately forgot to be cool and silent, and turned to look at Charles with the shock of his confession.

“Love me?” asked incredulously. “You don’t even know what that means.”

“Yes I do. Don’t tell me what I don’t know. You abandoned me. You could have come home but you didn’t. You let me believe you were dead!”

“I’m surprised you didn’t remarry,” Erik said bitterly.

“Erik I never gave up on you. Why are you doing this to me?”

“Because it hurts to look at you, knowing that you’re not really mine. You don’t love me; you only think you do because you’re grateful.”

The sudden venom in Erik’s words made Charles think that he’d been holding all of this in for a long time. It hurt to hear, but he couldn’t blame Erik for what he believed. They’d not made the best of beginnings after all. No wonder Erik had doubts.

“Grateful? Grateful that you rushed me into marriage? Grateful that you made me live with your mother, who hated me? Grateful that I had to leave my studies and wash shirts!” Charles shouted at him. “Erik, I love you because you’re a good man, you’re kind to me, and you make me feel proud. I don’t want anyone else, and you can’t keep holding the fact that I was a scared child when we met against me! That was two years ago, everything has changed. I know what I have now, and I’m not giving this up.”

Erik stared at him speechless. He was still angry, but his conviction in his own argument was wavering.

“Don’t you dare be lying to be Charles. I swear I can’t take it if you’re lying to me.”

“Believe me Erik; I wouldn’t be here with you if I didn’t want to be.”

Erik laughed, memories returning to him with fondness.

“Now that I believe,” he said a slight smile on his face. He looked at Charles whistfully. “I dreamt about you every day.”

“I needed you every day,” Charles told him.

Hey stood looking at each other in silence. A million things still unsaid, but with a truth slowly dawning on the both of them. This was the beginning of them, what had gone before was over. This was where their lives started. Erik walked towards him, and held out his hand.

Charles looked down at their linked hands and didn’t know what to do. He desperately wanted to move closer, but couldn’t find the courage to make the first move. The old shyness returned with a vengeance as Erik began to look at him once more like he had before, like Charles was the most wonderful thing in the world.

Charles’ hands were no longer soft like they were two years ago. He’d been working hard since Erik had left him in a precarious situation, and it showed. He wasn’t the same boy that Erik had known, Charles was right, he had changed. He’d grown up into someone who wasn’t afraid to stand by Erik’s side.

“Where did you go Erik? I looked everywhere, but it was like you’d just disappeared,” Charles said still looking down. He felt himself leaning towards Erik as if being pulled by a magnet. It was impossible to escape him, and Charles no longer wished to. It had taken him a long time to realise that he’d accidentally fallen into the place in the world he’d been made for.

“I’m so sorry Charles, I couldn’t get back to you. The humans damaged our numbers, and then the only place we could go was the seas. For almost two years we couldn’t cross the water. Then the humans suddenly retreated.”

“I suppose they needed all their men to take the south,” Charles surmised. It made sense; you couldn’t split your forces if you were invading.  

“There wasn’t that many of them. It was just that there weren’t many of us either,” Charles said. “Are we really going to war again?”

“They can’t have London, it belongs to us. We’re going to take it back,” Erik said looking much more like his strong confident self again. “You always wanted to rule the city… now is your chance.”

Perhaps it was the talk of war, but Charles suddenly didn’t want to talk anymore. He was so close to Erik at last, that to waste this time speaking seemed stupid. Even so, Charles really wasn’t sure how to proceed. Leaning closer still, Charles lifted his eyes to look at Erik’s face, but Erik had closed his. He was waiting for Charles to do this, and for once Charles knew he was the one with the power. Perhaps he’d always had this power over Erik, he’d just never realised it until now?

Kissing Erik was different to what Charles remembered. His heart was beating fast with something new, and he couldn’t remember how to breathe. He held onto Erik with both hands, clutching at his shirt to hold himself steady. The future might still be unsteady, it might always been that way, but now Charles knew one thing for certain. Whatever happened, whatever was coming, Charles would face it with Erik. Together, side by side.

“The city is ours,” Charles told him.

**End**

**Author's Note:**

> PROMPT: A raging war, mutants on the losing side. Earth is a wasteland. Finding love in the middle of war despite everything that says they shouldn't.  
> But they do, consequences be damned. Maybe they can save each other along the way.


End file.
